Ruth Jones and James Corden hope to bring back Gavin & Stacey again

The pair were speaking after the 28-day 4-screen consolidated figures confirmed that the special was the biggest TV programme outside of sporting and national events since records began in 2002.

In a joint statement, Jones and Corden said, “It’s mind blowing that so many people watched our show - we still can’t get our heads round it, what a massive compliment.

“We are indebted to the BBC for their incredible support but most importantly to those 18.5 million viewers for watching. We just hope one day we can let them know what Smithy said next...”

This was a reference to the final scene of the festive episode, which saw Nessa (Jones) propose to Corden’s Smithy – which came as a surprise given that for much of the episode it looked as if Smithy was set to marry his new girlfriend.

Sadly, the episode ended before we were able to hear Smithy’s answer, with many fans claiming that a new series – or at least another special – is inevitable, and so the above statement will only fuel these hopes further.

Meanwhile, speaking about the viewing figures, BBC Content director Charlotte Moore also revealed that she was hoping for more.

She said, “These incredible viewing figures demonstrate the power of British comedy and the love for Gavin and Stacey.

“I want to thank James and Ruth for this gem and like everyone I’m longing to find out what happens next!”

Earlier this month, star Joanna Page said that she'd put money on the show returning, saying that "they've got to do" another one.