Fans of the BBC’s long-running sitcom Gavin and Stacey were stunned to see Laura Aikman back in her role as Sonia for the last ever episode – and so were her family

Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman’s involvement in the last ever episode was so top secret that even her own family had no idea she would be in it – and she kept it a huge secret from them for months.

Over 12 million fans of the BBC sitcom tuned into watch the series final on Christmas Day and they were all left in disbelief when a shock twist showed James Corden’s character Smithy was preparing to marry girlfriend Sonia – played by Laura, 39.

The last Christmas special that aired in 2019 ended with a cliffhanger proposal where Ruth Jones’s Nessa proposed to Smithy, and fans were expecting the episode to focus on their long-awaited wedding. However, in an unexpected twist Sonia was the one to be revealed as his blushing fiancée.

During the weeks that Gavin and Stacey filmed in Essex and Wales over the summer, paparazzi shots showed the familiar cast of characters moving around for scenes – but actress Laura was nowhere to be seen on set. That’s because her involvement as Sonia was kept top secret until the episode actually aired on Christmas Day.

Laura made a shock return as Sonia ( 
Image:
BBC)

It was so top secret that even her own family had no idea she was going to feature in the episode. Taking to social media after the episode aired, Laura shared video footage of her family reacting in shock to see her on their TV screen – and how she managed to keep the exciting news so well hidden.

Laura posted the video to her Instagram grid alongside a caption that stated: “I take an NDA very seriously.” And she added: “The moment my family realise Sonia is ruining Christmas again…” Her family were stunned by the reveal – and one could be heard gasping: “You never told me” – with Laura replying: “We never told anyone.”

The actress later divulged how she managed to keep her involvement in the Christmas Day finale under wraps. She revealed that the cast grid even left her out so as to avoid any spoilers being leaked.

She shared a photograph of the order of cast with headshots of all the actors – with a huge gap where cast member number 13 was supposed to be. She then shared a screenshot of herself in the episode and wrote: “Many apologies for my behaviour.”

Laura didn’t even tell her family that she was involved in the finale ( 
Image:
lauraikman/Instagram)

The actress shared he family’s reaction ( 
Image:
lauraikman/Instagram)
Gavin And Stacey director Christine Gernon also took to Instagram after the finale aired to reveal the extent of the extreme measures taken to her epic return a secret.

Sharing a photo of Laura alongside Alison Steadman, who portrays Pam in the BBC show, the director revealed that Laura was hidden away from the rest of the cast, and when they were filming, she stayed a different hotel to the rest of her co-stars in another huge attempt to keep her return a secret.

“Laura spent the whole g&s shoot being hidden away. Staying in a different hotel, not allowed to come to wrap or screening parties so no one knew Sonia was back. Such a great reveal. And she’s amazing as both actor and person,” the director shared.

Gavin and Stacey: The Finale drew in a whopping 12.5 million viewers to become the most watched show on Christmas Day. Now, fans are hoping that show creators James Corden and Ruth Jones will make a spin-off show.