Joanna Page reveals fake scene in iconic Gavin and Stacey Christmas episode

While it’s also a bit of a mad busy time, the festive break is also about slobbing about on the sofa and eating everything in sight.

And obviously, that all takes place while re-watching iconic Christmas films and special episodes.

One particular festive special is so legendary it comes into my head as soon as Christmas telly is mentioned, the Gavin and Stacey episode - obviously.

You know, the proper one from back in 2008.

But while you might be able to recite the scenes word for one, you might not have known that one of the cutest parts was faked.

That iconic episode features Gavin telling his family he’s moving to Wales while Dave Coaches proposes to Nessa. Plus, that final scene where Mick plays the keyboard and they all have a little sing song.

Joanna Page, who played Stacey, told The Sun that the 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' scene needed a little help in editing.

Turns out Larry Lamb (who played Mick) was pretty crap at playing the piano and therefore essentially, well, didn’t.

Page explained: “Larry had piano lessons but it made no difference because he was absolutely dreadful at playing the keyboard.

“If you look closely at the end, he’s not actually touching the keys — his hands are hovering over them.”

BBC

I mean, if anything it makes the episode even more iconic that the most moving moment features Lamb waving his hands over a keyboard.

And Page’s own kids absolutely love it – preferring it to the 2019 Christmas special.

“They weren’t interested in watching the last Christmas special, the one they keep wanting to watch is the first one, they absolutely love it,” she said.

“The kids are like, ‘Can we watch the one where the man isn’t actually playing the keyboard?’ They think it’s hysterical.”

BBC

As many Gavin and Stacey fans will know, there was plenty things faked in the beloved BBC series.

Obviously, the key part of the show’s story is that Gavin and his family are from Billericay in Essex while Stacey and her family are from Barry in Wales.

Only while the Essex lot supposedly lived there, the actors never actually filmed there.

Lamb told the Radio Times: “Gavin & Stacey was all filmed in Wales, nobody offered us the opportunity to go to Essex.

“They said, ‘Billericay’s where you’re from’, so we just got on with it, we just do what we’re told.”

Wherever they filmed it, it’s still one of the best.

Topics: Gavin And Stacey, TV and Film, BBC, Christmas

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_