James Corden has admitted that Gavin And Stacey’s return for a Christmas special will mean a “tight” schedule to ensure it is filmed and edited in time.

The comedian, actor and former talkshow host, 45, announced in early May along with his Gavin And Stacey co-creator Ruth Jones that the beloved comedy series would return this year.

It last aired in 2019 for a one-off festive episode which ended on a cliff-hanger with Nessa, played by Jones, getting down on one knee to propose to Smithy, played by Corden.

Three series of the show, which aired from 2007 to 2010, followed the two titular characters Gavin and Stacey, played by Mathew Horne and Joanna Page, as they pursued a relationship across Essex and Wales.

Corden told BBC Radio 2’s The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on Thursday: “We’ll be shooting it (Gavin And Stacey) around September/October time, it’s going to be tight to get it in and delivered.

“But it’s such a… building that show is like building a Jenga puzzle, the cast availability and all, things like that.

“I think it will be okay, yeah.”

He is set to be in a London stage production of political drama The Constituent at The Old Vic from late June, following his exit from talkshow The Late Late Show With James Corden.

Corden added that once he “opens the play”, he and Jones have to do “one last pass and clean-up” of the script before sharing it with the Gavin And Stacey cast.

He added: “We don’t really want to give it to anyone, unless we feel like it… so we need to make a few trims, and a few little adjustments, but I’m very excited to share it with people.”

In an Instagram post on May 3, Corden shared an image of himself and Jones with the script titled: “Gavin and Stacey: The finale.”

He wrote: “Some news… It’s official!!! We have finished writing the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey. See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James.”

Gavin And Stacey’s Christmas special airs on Christmas Day on BBC One and iPlayer.