Gavin And Stacey star on keeping the finale secret

The TV star was speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival

One of the stars of hit TV show Gavin And Stacey has spoken about the pressure of keeping the finale of the BBC sitcom a secret.

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Alison Steadman, who plays Gavin’s mother Pam, said all of the cast wanted to keep the final scenes under wraps.

But, the 78-year-old said, "the paparazzi were everywhere".

"They [the directors] thought it was a nightmare, and there were people at the end of the street," she said.

The hit TV series aired between 2007 and 2010 and returned in 2019 with a one-off festive episode that ended on a cliffhanger when Nessa proposed to Smithy.

It is now returning this Christmas for a one-off special, which will mark the end in the series.

“Ruth [Jones] and James [Corden] were saying to everyone 'we don’t want to spoil it for you. We want Christmas Day to be a surprise'," said Steadman.

“And once you know a bit of secret or a story, then you’re going to spoil it.

“They want it to be a surprise, and that is what I want too," she added.

The comedy stars Mathew Horne and Joanna Page as young couple Gavin and Stacey who fall in love despite one living in Essex and the other in Wales.

The actress said it was "such a great show" to work on

Larry Lamb and Steadman play Gavin’s parents Mick and Pam, while Melanie Walters stars as Stacey’s widowed mother Gwen, with Rob Brydon as her Uncle Bryn.

Steadman, who has recently published her memoir, Out Of Character, said: "When we finished filming the other day, I got this lovely card from Matt Horne, who plays Gavin, and he just said, ‘I’m so, so proud to think I’ve had you as my mum in the series.

“It was just so lovely. It’s been such a great show to do," she added.