Gavin & Stacey smashes 16-year Xmas TV record

GAVIN & Stacey's TV finale went out on a crackin' high, notching up the biggest Christmas Day ratings since 2008.

- Naomi Clarke

The emotional farewell to the hit BBC sitcom, in which fans saw Smithy and Nessa finally get their happy ending, drew an average audience of 12.3 million.

According to overnight figures, it surpassed the show's 2019 Christmas special's night-time audience of 11.6 million by more than half a million viewers.

Cliffhanger

The romantic comedy, famous for catchphrases like Crackin', Lush! and What's Occurrin'?, was the top performer on the BBC's star-packed schedule.

New Wallace And Gromit film, Vengeance Most Fowl, took second place with an average overnight audience of 9.4 million, while the King's Speech attracted some 5 million viewers.

Gavin & Stacey fans had been eagerly anticipating the final instalment of the show for five years.