BRITISH SITCOM GAVIN and Stacey is returning to television screens for a one-off Christmas special, co-writer James Corden has revealed.

The comedy series centres on the long-distance relationship between an Englishman and a Welsh woman and last aired in 2010.

Corden revealed the news on twitter where he said he and co-writer Ruth Jones had ‘been keeping this secret for a while…’

In a joint statement the creators of the comedy series – who also star in the show – said:

“Over the the last 10 years we’ve talked a lot about Gavin and Stacey – where they might be today and what their lives might look like.”

And so in secret we took the plunge and wrote this one hour special. We’ve loved revisiting Barry and Essex and bringing the character back together has been a joy.

Gavin and Stacey ran for three series and a Christmas special on the BBC from 2007 to 2010. 

Including Corden and Jones, the show also starred Mathew Horne and Joanna Page as the title characters and co-starred Rob Brydon, Larry Lamb, Melanie Walters and Alison Steadman.