James Corden was a special guest at the Global Gift Gala on Monday, where he introduced TV presenter Scarlette Douglas, the evening’s host, to the stage.
During his time at the gala, James shared some intriguing details about the last-ever episode of Gavin and Stacey – hinting there would be two funerals in the Christmas special.
While trying to keep some aspects of the finale a secret, he told the crowd he had been editing the show that same day and that the funeral scenes were “hard to watch.” He then teased, adding, “But was there a funeral? Maybe yes. Maybe no!”
Though we can only speculate on what’s to come, James’ co-creator Ruth Jones previously joked about potential surprises, telling fans in Barry, “I go (jokingly) ‘There’s going to be a helicopter crash, most of the cast is going to get killed,’ and I just make stuff up!”
Alison Steadman, who plays Pam, also hinted the finale was “emotional,” telling The One Show host Alex Jones, “We've had a great five weeks, we only finished on Monday night. But we were all dreading that final scene. I think 90 per cent of us were in tears, some people braved it – it’s been so fantastic.”
James, who also stars as Smithy, expressed how emotional it was saying goodbye to the characters. Speaking with Virgin Radio back in July, he shared, “We've finished writing – we’ll never write anything that Pam [Alison Steadman’s character] says again…We’ll never come up with an interesting thing that Bryn [Rob Brydon’s character] has done.
“And we just looked at each other and thought, ‘Ah, isn’t that amazing?’ To even have the luxury of deciding to end it, and to be in a position where people still care. It’s inconceivable to us – all of it. I just feel very emotional about it; everything.”
The former chat show host helped raise over £250,000 for charity during the event, including by bidding on a box for the Arsenal match with his friend Ben Winston, who produced The Late Late Show with him. The star joined Pixie Lott, Patsy Palmer, and Melissa Odabash to raise funds for the foundation, which “aims to create a positive impact on the lives of children, women, and families in need,” as well as The Arsenal Foundation, supporting young people in North London and around the world. Among awardees was Dame Arlene Phillips, who was awarded the Womens Empowerment Award by Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta and his wife Lorena Bernal.
Speaking about the event, Global Gift Foundation founder Maria Bravo said: “I am delighted to join forces with The Arsenal Foundation for this very special evening.
“The work they do transforms the lives of so many disadvantaged young people in our communities. Thank you to our sponsors, Kimpton Fitzroy London, Kylie Minogue Wines, Reason Play, and collaborators – thanks to them, we improve the lives of these children and their families in the UK and abroad.”