Gavin & Stacey stars pay tribute to Doris forward of ultimate episode

Ruth Jones and Joanna Web page have paid a touching tribute to Gavin & Stacey actress Margaret John who performed cheeky neighbour Doris on the hit BBC sitcom.

“Working with Maggie John has received to be one of many highlights of Gavin & Stacey,” stated Joanna Web page in an interview with Alex Jones for the brand new BBC Sounds particular, Barry Island Discs.

“I simply love how her character received greater and worse and saucier and sexier because the sequence went on.”

John died in 2011, aged 84, with the character Doris leaving her home, subsequent door to Gwen’s on Trinity Avenue in Barry, to Gavin & Stacey in her will.

“I do keep in mind once we have been casting Gavin & Stacey and we had this character of Doris, the next-door neighbour who was a bit bit impolite,” stated sequence co-creator, Ruth Jones.

“Chris Gernon, our director, stated ‘I do know precisely the actress to play that half – it is Maggie John’.”

Doris was recognized for her frankness, in addition to the hilarious cause she refused to make a salad for Neil the Child’s christening.

“From, I believe, the primary sequence, I all the time keep in mind filming it as a result of it was my first scene as properly,” stated Web page.

“Getting off the bus, strolling throughout the street and going ‘Alright Dor?’ after which she provides me recommendation on what I ought to be like once I journey as much as London to see Gavin, and he or she provides me a bit little bit of saucy recommendation.

“From that second I simply thought ‘Oh my god, this girl is simply so hilarious and wonderful, and sensible’.”

One second that stood out for Web page was Doris showing on drums at Neil the Child’s christening as Uncle Bryn, performed by Rob Brydon, sang the traditional, So Sturdy.

“He was fairly nervous when he was doing it, Rob, as a result of he needed to do it properly. Oh my gosh, he does it so extremely properly,” she stated.

“I keep in mind sitting within the pews and laughing right through and simply desperately making an attempt to maintain it collectively.

“Since you had Uncle Bryn going for it with a tune that you simply by no means ever actually hear at a christening, and you then had Maggie, the fantastic Margaret John who was on the drums, and we cherished Maggie a lot… however she was very nervous and he or she couldn’t get the timing.”

It seems, the hilariously-timed drum hits weren’t intentional.

Producer Ted Dowd was compelled to lie on the ground behind the pews and lift a biro each time John was speculated to hit the drum.

“She would wait like a second after which go ‘increase’ so it was all the time unintentionally late with the timing. It was completely hilarious,” Web page added.

“Probably the greatest days filming, ever.”

The ultimate episode of Gavin and Stacey will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on 25 December at 20:00 GMT