Gavin & Stacey wins Virgin Media's Must See Moment award

Ruth Jones and James Corden on the screen at the virtual event for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards Image from Virgin Media
Image from Virgin Media
Natalie Clarkson
by Natalie Clarkson
2 August 2020

What was your favourite moment of television from the last year? According to the British public, the ‘must-see moment’ was when Nessa dropped to one knee and proposed to Smithy in the Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special.

Ruth Jones and James Corden, who created the show and also play Nessa and Smithy, collected the Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment award, voted by the British public, at the virtual Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards ceremony.

James Corden said: “In many ways, that moment between Smithy and Nessa had been a scene that we’d talked about for years. It’s thrilling to know people have lived with these characters and that they know who they are and that they’re invested in their lives. We feel the same I think, Ruth and I, I’m as interested to see where they go as anyone else is.”

Ruth Jones added: “We were sat there with James and his family, watching and waiting for a conclusion to this gorgeous Christmas special. When it happened, the reaction in the room was amazing. James’ sisters were going ‘NOOOO’. It was genuine frustration and delight mixed together in one big explosive moment.”

Nessa’s proposal was one of the most talked-about, tweeted about, and watched TV moments of 2019. Gavin & Stacey’s return for a one-off episode after a 10-year hiatus brought in 17.1 million viewers. It broke records to become the most-watched scripted show of the last decade and also the biggest Christmas day programme of the decade.

The moment perfectly embodies what Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment award is all about – the dramatic scenes, cliffhangers, laugh-out-loud and edge-of-your-seat TV moments that grip the nation and bring us together.

Visit Virgin Media to find out more.