GAVIN and Stacey fans were quick to spot “missing” character from the show‘s final episode.
12.3 million people across the nation on Christmas Day tuned in for the final chapter of the beloved BBC One comedy.
And loyal followers were rewarded with the perfect ending as James Corden’s Smithy realised he was meant to be with Nessa.
But some eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot an absent face missing from Smithy’s stag do.
His friends gathered to celebrate his last night of being single, including Budgie (Russell Tovey), Dirtbox (Andrew Knott), Chinese Alan (Dominic Gaskell) and Fingers (Samuel Anderson).
However, Smithy’s builder mate Deano (played by Ghosts star Mathew Baynton) was no where to be seen.
Deano was known as the friend who didn’t go bowling because he was “scared of the shoes”, as well as requesting a half and half cup of tea and coffee at Pam and Mick’s and also learning Welsh before the boys’ night out in Cardiff.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan wrote: “It was perfect, but Deano turning up in a Millwall shirt on the stag would been the icing on the cake”.
Another added: “Only question… where on earth was Deano”.
While a third penned: “A sprinkle of Deano and it would have been 11/10”.
A fourth said: “No Deano at Smithy’s stag doesn’t feel right”.
This comes after viewers noticed another character missing from the final episode of the beloved sitcom.
Some will remember Barry’s own Del Boy, Dick Powell, who has popped up throughout the series, flogging random wares.
He’s sold everything from Black Market sat navs to meat he’s stolen from the slaughterhouse.
Dick is also the only resident on the Island who speaks only Welsh.
Despite appearing in two episodes and being mentioned many times throughout the show, the dodgy salesman was not in the finale.
Gavin and Stacey’s Best Moments
With the news that the show is set to make an exciting return to screens, let’s take a look at some of the comedy programme’s biggest and best moments…
- Smithy and Rudi’s American Boy rap – No one will ever forget when James Corden and Sheridan Smith rapped perfectly word for word the Kanye West and Estelle hit American Boy as they walked across the car park on the phone to Gavin.
- Pam’s Vegetarian faux pas – Despite loving a cheesburger, Pam found herself caught up in a web of unexpected lies when she claimed to be Vegetarian. She is forced to keep up the secret throughout the entire show and uses hubby Mick to help her scoff meat. She is later rumbled when Stacey catches her in the act as she scoffs ham in the kitchen. Stacey says to her: “Is that ham, Pam!?… “I’ve seen you, Pam. A scotch egg here, a bit of bacon there, putting those regular sausages into the Linda McCartney box”.
- THAT fishing trip – It remains one of the biggest mysteries in Gavin and Stacey history as to just exactly what did happen on the ill-fated fishing trip. Bryn appears to be hiding a secret as to an occurance between him and his nephew Jason which has left relations fractures. Ness’ on-off boyfriend, Dave, is the only other person to know the whole truth. Bryn did appear to allude to him and Jason lying together naked to keep warm as he said to Dave: “We’re going to have this out, once and for all, man to man, you may know what happened, David, but you don’t know why it happened! It was freezing cold, it was! And when you are that cold…”
- Islands in the Stream – No one can ever forget the classic Karaoke performance of Islands in the Stream. Nessa and Bryn performed the track in front of all their nearest and dearest. It saw the whole pub burst into some line-dancing as they enjoyed a boozy night out.
- The Xmas special proposal – In 2019, fans were left overjoyed when the show made a comeback but it ended on the ultimate cliffhanger. Nessa asked Smithy if she would marry him as she finally laid bare her feelings for him. Fans were gutted as the show then cut straight to the credits as they never found out just how Smithy answered. Will all be revealed in the brand new episode?
Co-creator Ruth Jones revealed they managed to include Dick in the final script – but it didn’t make the final cut.
“I think in the original script we had Dick Powell. There just wasn’t room for him, God bless him,” she said at the press event.
In an emotional scene on a cargo ship, Smithy dropped to one knee and told his true love, who had proposed in a 2019 festive cliffhanger: “Five years ago on Christmas Day, you asked me a question and I didn’t answer you.
“And I thought about it every day. And I’m sorry I left you hanging.
“I know it’s been messy and not perfect. But that’s because we’re messy and not perfect. But I love you, Nessa. I always have. Will you marry me?”
The saga closed with a moving montage of the gang celebrating at the couple’s low-key pub wedding.
Writer Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa, said simply: “I hope we did you proud.” She added: “I’m not going to lie, I’m feeling a bit drained!”
Meanwhile, James said: “Tears all around. It was probably the most emotional film set I’ve ever been on and it was kind of wonderful.”
The one-off episode, which aired at 9pm on Christmas Day, has been confirmed as the final instalment of Gavin & Stacey, which first screened in May 2007, after three series and three Christmas specials.
However, the creators have revealed they will be releasing a book dishing on the making of the beloved sitcom.
It will be named When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between: A Story of Love and Friendship and is set to hit bookshelves on October 16 next year.
It will share how the pair turned the show into a cultural phenomenon, including the “rejection, obstacles and challenges” along the way.
“We’re so excited to be sharing the story behind the story of Gavin & Stacey,” James and Ruth said.
“The show has played a huge part in our 25-year friendship and we hope this book will give readers a fresh insight into how it all came about.”
Publisher Transworld’s Bill Scott-Kerr added: “We are so excited to be publishing this joyous book. Seeing the creative chemistry between Ruth and James up close is an inspiration in itself and a real insight into the fission which made Gavin & Stacey the cultural phenomenon that it is.
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“It’s also inspiring to see how a friendship can translate into something which feels so wonderfully universal and profoundly true.”
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.