Gavin And Stacey stars Mathew Horne and Joanna Page reveal where they were when they found out about the Christmas finale as they admit 'it came out of the blue!'

Gavin And Stacey stars Mathew Horne and Joanna Page have revealed where they were when they found out that the highly-anticipated Christmas special and final ever episode was going ahead.

Joanna, 47, who portrays Stacey in the hit BBC sitcom, admitted she instantly knew what was coming when she saw James Corden's name flash up on her phone in January of this year.

She told Radio Times in their Christmas issue: 'I'd just done a job and had stopped at a services to get a burger on my way home. I looked down at my phone and it said, 'Gavin & Stacey: read-through script.'

Meanwhile, Mathew, 46, who plays her on-screen husband Gavin, explained: 'James called me out of the blue and asked if I was aware of the work of someone called Ruth Jones.'

He added: 'They didn’t tell us anything that happened in the script. But I had absolute trust.'

Joanna added that she even had to go to the lengths of forcing her family out of her room to practice her lines, but that didn't stop her 11-year-old-daughter from trying to find out by hiding a recording iPad under her bed.

She joked: 'Even in my own house I had to be careful what I said! The thought of being the person who cocks up and reveals something is absolutely terrifying.' 

It comes after creators James Corden and Ruth Jones issued a major update with their co-stars on Tuesday.

The duo joined Zoe Ball for the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast: A Gavin and Stacey Takeover ahead of the sitcom's final ever episode. 

James and Ruth were joined by Joanna Page, Mat Horne, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb and Rob Wilfort for the three hour long special.

During the show they revealed secrets about the upcoming finale, shared some of their favourite memories from the series and discussed all things festive.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, explained: 'This one-time-only Gavin and Stacey Takeover of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show is going to be such a special festive treat for us all, ahead of the must-see broadcast of the final ever episode on Christmas Day.

'I can’t wait to welcome Ruth, James and their brilliant co-stars to the station, to spread some Christmas magic to Radio 2 listeners!'

Ruth has admitted that Gavin and Stacey viewers might be left surprised at the Christmas special as she snd James Corden discussed the final ever episode.

Die-hard fans have been speculating about how the co-creators will round off the show, with the duo giving an insight on Monday.

Many questions remain unanswered since the last episode, including what happened after Nessa's shock proposal to Smithy. 

While the plot for this year's Christmas special still being kept tightly underwraps, Ruth has revealed that they are defiantly bring the sitcom to an end.

Speaking in an interview with The Big Issue she said: 'I keep telling people this finale might not be what you are expecting. And I guarantee we will definitely not be coming back.'

James added: 'What people are going to see on Christmas Day is the culmination of a 20-year love story, which hopefully shows, if nothing else, that love is complicated and messy and for everyone.'

Joanna also revealed she found filming the final day of the Christmas special 'traumatic' as she opened up about the 'emotional' last day on set.

She said: 'Being on set for the last time with everybody for the last day was traumatic. I knew I was going to cry as soon as I walked on set. 

'I saw Steve's face, our first AD, and I just burst out crying. Then I saw Sophie Hebron, our second AD, and I burst out crying again. So then I went into my trailer and Julia Davis came in and sat with me, and I couldn't stop crying, because it just felt it was such a huge journey that was ending.

'So I found it very emotional but then in between that, hysterically funny, because the last scene we filmed was a funny one, so I just alternated between hysterically crying and hysterically laughing.'

Recalling the final moments on set, she continued: 'Right at the very end, on our last bit of filming, I just got this sense of calm wash over me.

'I remember standing there and looking around at everybody and everybody's faces, and I just remember smiling quite calmly to myself and thinking ‘wow, look where we've all come, look where we all are now’.

'I delivered my last lines, the way that I wanted to, and the way that I needed to, and then when they shouted, “it's a wrap” and then they clapped all of us goodbye and I just hugged Mat, and we both stood there crying.'

Elsewhere, one Gavin and Stacey star has confirmed that they will be appearing in the highly-anticipated Christmas special and dropped a major hint about the final scene.

Steffan Rhodri, known as Dave 'Coaches' Gooch on the show, has revealed a small spoiler about the final episode.

Speaking to Metro, he said: 'My character Dave is a bit of an outsider but they planned it so that with the last scene we did, which is the ending, we were all together and it was very touching.'

He added that he can't say anything else about the Christmas special, but he can confirm that he will be in it.

Steffan missed the 2019 Christmas special, meaning he hasn't filmed for the show in 17 years.

He said: 'I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was like putting on a pair of old trousers. It was really lovely to hang out with them again.'

Fans know coach driver Dave for his iconic line about what he will and wont put up with on his coach - 'fags and weed, glue and speed, but I draws the line at crack'.

But what they may not know is that Steffan based the character on his uncle who is a coach driver with a similar attitude.

The Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special airs at Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.