James Corden shares the real-life love story that inspired Gavin & Stacey

James Corden has shared the real-life inspiration behind the beloved BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey, which has touched many fans since its final episode aired on Christmas Day.

Fans of the popular series have experienced a whirlwind of emotions following the last instalment. They were given the opportunity to bid adieu to the cherished characters with the BBC documentary A Fond Farewell, broadcast on New Year's Day.

The documentary provided insights into the creation of the much-anticipated finale and reflected on the show's journey over the past 17 years.

James, famed for his role as Smithy, revealed that the concept for the show was sparked by a friend named Gavin who met his wife through work in a manner akin to the on-screen romance of Gavin Shipman, portrayed by Mathew Horne.

Speaking about his friend's experience, the 46-year-old actor recounted: "My mate Gavin met his girlfriend because he worked in sales and she worked in accounts but they used to speak on the phone," reports Wales Online.

"He was like, 'I'm just chatting to this girl at work and we just ended up on the phone for hours' and then he said to me, 'I'm gonna meet her this weekend' and I was like, 'What? ! They ended up having a frivolous weekend and coming back and [he was] going 'I'm in love with her! '" James disclosed that the couple stayed together and eventually married.

In the series finale, viewers witnessed the tumultuous relationship between Smithy and Nessa reach a climax as they confessed their love and got married, despite encountering several obstacles along the way.

Smithy was initially poised to marry his girlfriend Sonia, following the revelation that he'd never responded to Nessa's proposal - a cliffhanger from the 2019 Christmas Special