A Gavin and Stacey actor has raised £50,510 for charity by donating a signed script from the Christmas finale.
Robert Wilfort, who plays Stacey’s brother Jason West in the beloved BBC sitcom, donated the 2024 script to a £5-a-ticket raffle.
The script, titled “Gavin and Stacey: the finale,” was penned by co-creators James Corden and Ruth Jones and signed by the whole cast.
The draw was held on Monday, with all funds going to the Buckinghamshire-based Theatre Shed, an inclusive theatre company bringing together disabled and non-disabled children.
The move proved hugely popular, with 4,500 people buying tickets and so many fans trying to take part that the charity’s website struggled to cope.
Discussing the donation, Wilfort, 47, said: “I knew [the finale] would be popular, to put it mildly. I thought it would be good to do something with that popularity.”
He added: "There's a fantastic charity near to me, I've had a long association with them, so I got in touch and said, 'Shall we raffle off the script?'"
In the Christmas Day episode, Gavin and Stacey fans saw Neil “Smithy” Smith (Corden) finally decide to marry Vanessa “Nessa” Jenkins (Jones) after calling off his wedding to Sonia (Laura Aikman) at the altar.
Wilfort told PA their wedding was “a really great finish to the story”.
The actor added: “We all knew the script was brilliant, but you never can tell until the whole thing comes together what the reaction is going to be.
“But it seems both press and public have just completely loved it, and it’s so satisfying for all of us.”
Gavin and Stacey was a huge hit with fans with its original 2007 to 2010 run.
It returned to screens in 2019 for a festive special and graced televisions once again with a Christmas Day episode in 2024.
Corden shared several behind-the-scenes photos from the latest special in December and thanks fans for tuning in in their millions.
In one snap, Corden and Mathew Horne, who plays Gavin, held hands while lying in bed together on the set.
In another, Alison Steadman (Pam) and Rob Brydon (Uncle Bryn) struck a playful pose while filming the hilarious drunken party scene.
Corden captioned the post: “Here’s some behind the scenes photos from the special. Thank you so much to everyone who watched last night. It means more than you’ll know. All my love, James xx.”
