Actor Larry Lamb has revealed that the BBC used to leak Gavin and Stacey episodes online before they aired in order to "capture a young audience". The 72-year-old, who plays Gavin's dad Mick Shipman in the hit comedy, confessed that the BBC was forced to change its tactics after it was decided that the show would be more family-friendly than writers James Corden and Ruth Jones initially intended. Speaking on This Morning, Larry said: "Right at the beginning [when Ruth and James wrote it] it was going to be a lot more raw, it was going to be a lot more for an adult audience, and that was very quickly stepped back on [by the BBC]."
He added: "So they realised - the BBC were so canny - they knew what was going to capture a young audience and they actually started leaking it out online themselves before it ever went out on BBC, so they started to build an audience before it came on the telly - it was a very clever operation." Larry will reprise his role for the Christmas special, which is set to air on Christmas Day.
Larry plays Gavin's dad Mick Shipman
READ: Larry Lamb breaks down in tears discussing Gavin and Stacey Christmas special
Earlier this week, Joanna Page, who plays Stacey, chatted to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford about the Christmas special on This Morning and hinted that the show's ongoing mystery – what really happened on Uncle Bryn and Jason's fishing trip – might finally be answered. Chatting about the episode, she said: "Tune in, because there might just be a little conversation about the fishing trip." Fans have been speculating about the famous fishing trip for years, which caused Bryn and Jason to have a fall out and struggle to discuss what happened afterwards, with the truth nearly coming out over several occasions through the show's three seasons.
Will we finally discover what happened on that fishing trip?
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After finding out that there would be a Christmas special, fans flocked to social media to discuss whether the fishing trip question would finally be answered, with one writing: "Hey @JKCorden I know you're into bigger things now but please could you let me know what happened between Bryn and Jason on that fishing trip? I’m trying to move on with my life but I need this closure. Regards," while another added: "We better find out what went on that fishing trip!"
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