When you get a chance to chat to actress Alison Steadman, the urge to ask about the likelihood of a Gavin & Stacey reunion is too strong to resist. Fans of the BBC series have been hoping for its return since its last Christmas special pulled in 11.6 million viewers in 2019. But Alison, 76, who played Pamela Shipman in the comedy, has sad news.
“There’s no whisper of it, but you never know,” she confides. “I’d love to do another special. I’ve never been more sad than when the whole series finished. I think we all cried at the end. When me and Larry [Lamb] did DNA Journey last year, we went to Barry to film and the whole place was going berserk. People were saying, ‘Oh my God, there’s going to be more. Look who it is.’
“We had to hide in the end, just to get a bit of peace and a cup of tea. But the warmth and friendliness that comes from the show is so lovely. When we filmed the last Christmas special, there were hundreds of people in the street watching us do a night shoot until 3am.”
A Gavin & Stacey reunion seemed to be on the cards when James Corden, writer of the show with Ruth Jones, who played Nessa, announced he is quitting as host of The Late Late Show With James Corden this year. Corden, 44, hit the big time when he moved Stateside in 2015 and landed the talk show gig. But Alison insists he hasn’t let Hollywood go to his head – despite his admission of “ungracious” behaviour in a New York restaurant recently.
“He’s still James, but I think he’s settled down now,” says Alison, who has sons Leo and Toby with her ex-husband, the British director and writer Mike Leigh. “He’s got a lovely wife and three beautiful children and he’s so proud of them. He’s a family man.”
The actress, whose film and TV career includes roles in hits like The Syndicate, Life Is Sweet and Fat Friends, once said she wouldn’t retire until she’s 105. But now she’s in her seventies, does she feel the same way?
“I’d be so lucky,” she laughs. “I love my work, but I do get more tired now. I’ve just got to try and pare it back a bit, but I really don’t want to stop and I will keep going as long as I can.”
This looks set to be a very busy year for Alison, who became a household name after starring as Beverly in the 1977 BBC TV play Abigail’s Party. As well as two projects in the offing that she isn’t yet able to talk about, she will appear in the upcoming Robbie Williams biopic Better Man.
“For some reason I’m not allowed to say who I’m playing, but we filmed it in Melbourne last year and it was very exciting,” she says.
“Robbie was around for three weeks and he was great. He performed at the Royal Albert Hall a few months ago, doing a concert connected with the film, and he got in touch and said, ‘We’ve got a box, would you like to go?’ And I said, ‘Try and stop me.’”
But one show she won’t be signing up for is Strictly Come Dancing.
“I’m 77 this year and I just couldn’t do it,” says Alison, who lives in London with her partner, the actor Michael Elwyn. “I’d get too exhausted. It’s brilliant and I love dancing, but I know I would get voted off in the first week, so forget it. There’s no way I could be getting flung in the air.”
Something Alison is more than happy to put her energy into, though, is her role as an ambassador for Marie Curie, the charity that cares for people diagnosed with terminal illnesses. The organisation is close to her heart, as it cared for her mother, Marjorie, at its hospice in Liverpool when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1994, something the actress describes as “horrendous”.
She is currently supporting the Great Daffodil Appeal, Marie Curie UK’s annual fundraising campaign, and says, “It’s really important. Marie Curie has nine hospices in the UK and it costs
a lot of money to keep them running. My eyes light up when I see people wearing daffodil as it means they’ve given something and they care. I know times are difficult, but we’ve got to help each other.”
It was through her role as an ambassador that Alison met the King – then Prince Charles – in 2019, when he visited the hospice in which her mother stayed.
“He’s lovely,” Alison says. “He’s a very warm and friendly man. You don’t feel intimidated in any way. I met him before, some years ago, and he’s probably seen me on telly and he just turned around and went, ‘Oh! Hello, hello,’ and it was just like meeting a fan. I think he’s doing very
well as our King and I think when he gets the crown on his head we’ll all be very proud.”
Asked whether King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort, have seen the Gavin & Stacey scenes in which they are impersonated by Pam and Mick, Alison laughs. “I don’t know, but I hope if they have they weren’t offended.”
However, she is less than impressed with the King’s son Prince Harry and his explosive memoir, Spare.
“I think it’s very sad and I’m really glad the Queen isn’t alive to witness it,” she says. “I think it’s a disgrace. It was his prerogative to leave the royal family and they let him, so I think he should just get on with it and shut up. I won’t read the book. I can’t bear to look at it in bookshops.”
THE MARIE CURIE GREAT DAFFODIL APPEAL, WHICH IS HELD THROUGHOUT MARCH, RAISES MONEY TO HELP SUPPORT PEOPLE AT THE END OF LIFE. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO DONATE, VISIT MARIECURIE.ORG.UK/DAFFODIL
