Actor who was an extra in the Gavin And Stacey finale reveals what viewers DIDN'T see - from the extreme measures to keep Sonia's big return hidden to the emotional moments between the cast

A man who was an extra in the Gavin And Stacey finale, playing one of Smithy's stags, has shared what it was really like behind the scenes of the highly-anticipated last episode of the BBC show.

Welsh actor Scott McGlynn, 37, was seen in the background multiple scenes of the emotional Christmas Day special.

He even got his own personalised Smithy West Ham football shirt, which he was seen donning as the boys turn up for the stag do wearing them.

Opening up on the experience, Scott said: 'I got told they were needing two or three stags so I did a self tape and then I become a stag which was very fun. 

'I loved working with the cast and crew, everyone is very friendly and welcoming. I had some great chats with Robert Wilfort who plays Jason. We were drinking 0% alcohol beer in our scene, sometimes it felt like a real stag do or night out!'

He explained: 'I filmed four days in total and my first day was the wedding scene. We had a huge announcement from Ruth and James to not speak or share to anyone what’s going to happen, which now we now who he was marrying and him running out.

'It was hard knowing everything that happened and all your friends are asking you, but for me it was a huge deal for people to watch it on Christmas Day and I’m a no spoiler guy.

'So from that wedding scene I pretty much knew the ending how it was planning out.'  

Talking about the emotional mood on set, he gushed: 'You felt the love in the room when filming that’s for sure. 

'I was in the wedding and stags scenes so Ruth [Jones] wasn’t filming those days but she was behind the camera.

'But I remember my last day of filming it was Ruth’s birthday, which we all sang happy birthday. There was a tearful speech which was beautiful and she gave us all cake which was a nice ending to the filming.'

He also detailed some of the extreme measures to keep the big return of Smithy's girlfriend Sonia a secret.

The actor recalled: 'I remember she was very hidden and no one saw her until that moment we filmed and then the signs gave it away.

'But some people were given random names on wedding cards so it wasn’t given to much away.'

It comes after Gavin And Stacey star Laura Aikman (Sonia) shared the adorable moment her parents discovered she was returning to the sitcom while watching the highly-anticipated finale on Christmas Day.

During the episode, fans were on the edge of their seats when Smithy's (James Corden) fiancée was revealed as Laura's character Sonia, rather than Ruth Jones' Nessa.

Her appearance came as a shock to the nation, as Laura had been 'hidden away' in a separate hotel during filming, and she had signed an NDA preventing her from revealing she was returning.

As 12.5 million viewers gasped in shock at the big reveal, no one was more dumbfounded than her beloved parents - who had no clue she was making her big comeback.

Taking to Instagram the next morning on Boxing Day, the actress shared a clip of the moment the huge surprise was unveiled to her unsuspecting parents.

She wrote: 'The moment my family realise Sonia is ruining Christmas again...' alongside the hilarious video.

Gavin And Stacey director Christine Gernon also took to Instagram after the finale aired to reveal the extent of the extreme measures taken to her comeback secret under wraps.

Sharing a snap of Laura alongside Alison Steadman, who portrays Pam in the BBC show, the director quipped: '@lauraikman spent the whole g&s shoot being hidden away.

'Staying in a different hotel, not allowed to come to wrap or screening parties so no one knew Sonia was back. Such a great reveal. And she’s amazing as both actor and person.'

The Christmas special and finale came five years after the show's last Christmas instalment in 2019.

It was hailed 'perfect' by viewers, who were left in tears as the long-running show finally aired its last episode after 17 years.

While fans tuned into the episode to see whether Smithy had accepted Nessa's proposal from the 2019 Christmas Special, a five-year time jump revealed that he was indeed set to tie the knot, but all was not as it seemed.

It was revealed that Smithy had instead got engaged to his girlfriend Sonia, who failed to impress the Shipman/West clan when she met them in the last festive episode.

Fans were also treated to the surprise return of Sheridan Smith as Smithy's sister Rudi, and Pam Ferris as his mum Cath.

Yet when it came to Smithy's big day he realised that Nessa was his one true love and called off the wedding.

The entire family jumped into Dave's coach and rushed to Southampton, where Nessa was preparing to set sail, and in a scene 17 years in the making, he declared his love for her, and asked her to reconsider leaving.

While an ever-stoic Nessa insisted she wouldn't propose to Smithy again, instead he returned her offer from five years earlier, finally getting down on one knee and asking her to marry him.

The episode then cut to Smithy and Nessa exchanging their vows at long last in an intimate ceremony in Barry, with the series ending with an emotional montage of the family marking the occasion at The Dolphin pub, before posing for a family snap together.