JAMES Corden and Ruth Jones reunited last night and won a prestigious award for the Gavin and Stacey finale.
The TV stars were all smiles at the 51st Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for television, streaming and audio inside Everyman Broadgate, London.
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The duo collected the Best Comedy gong three months after the BBC sitcom attracted a staggering 18.5 million viewers over the Christmas period.
Writer James, 46, looked smart in a full black suit and thick-rimmed specs while co-star Ruth, 58, looked glamorous in a pleated satin dress.
The pair posed with arms around each other on the red carpet and looked thrilled to be in such esteemed company.
Other winners on the night included ITV‘s Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Disney+ romp Rivals.
READ MORE ON GAVIN AND STACEY
While the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special tied the sitcom off nicely, with Nessa and Smithy finally getting together in a tear-jerking final scene that saw him declare his love for her as she prepared to set sail for a life at sea, there are still hopes the franchise can be kept alive in some way.
We revealed on Boxing Day that execs are keen to coax more material from James and Ruth.
A source said: “It would be madness to close the door on such a hit.”
The spin-off could come in the form of a sitcom following warring couple Dawn and Pete, insiders said.
A TV source said: “James and Ruth are adamant this is the last of Gavin & Stacey. But, when a programme achieves such results, execs will always hope for more.
“At the end of the day, ratings talk and it would be madness to close the door on such a hit forever when fans loved it so much.
“Bosses have had casual discussions about whether options like a Pete and Dawn spin-off could work.
“They were always more separate to the main group and a new universe could be developed which didn’t involve any of the core cast, so James and Ruth’s involvement could be a little different.”
The 2019 Christmas special, when Nessa, played by Ruth, proposed to Smithy (James) was supposed to be the final episode. But The Sun then revealed the gang were coming back five years on.
Our source went on: “No one thought James and Ruth would ever return following 2019’s special, so it’s definitely considered a ‘never say never’ situation and bosses live in hope.
“Even when news of this Christmas special broke, Ruth denied it publicly, so any plans will always be shrouded in secrecy.
“At this point they are rightly so proud of what they delivered and why would they risk ruining it all? But no one can be blamed for one day hoping for more.”
The BBC has said there are currently no plans for a spin-off.
The channel has had huge success with spin-offs that are based within the same “universe” as a popular show, such as Beyond Paradise and now Return To Paradise for cop show Death In Paradise.
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