Gavin & Stacey went to extreme lengths to keep hated character's return under wraps
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It was a twist that not even the cast saw coming when Sonia burst back into Gavin and Stacey on Christmas Day. Smithy left fans on the edge of their seats when he told Gavin he planned to propose to uptight Sonia back in 2019 – but fans expected him and Nessa to tie the knot after she proposed. But five years on as wedding prep got underway, it emerged that Sonia was his bride to be.
But those taking part in the finale, which racked up an impressive 12.3 million viewers had no idea Laura Aikman's character wasn't returning. Bridesmaid Anna, played by Lauren Cornelius told the Mirror: "We never met Laura until filming, she was secret, she was in different hotels and not allowed to be part of anything. She didn't exist, her name wasn't on anything.".
Bosses of the fan-favourite sitcom went to extreme lengths to keep Sonia's return a secret, often hiding her with umbrellas to ensure no details leaked. Lauren also had no idea what she was auditioning for when she was asked to film a self-tape, before being recalled to do a brief read-through with creators Ruth Jones and James Corden.
Lauren's character was so secret, Corden and Jones gave her several names throughout the audition process. "It was Katie first, then it was Leticia, and then it was Anna," she said. "It was totally wild, it was surreal in itself, it was absolutely incredible," she commented, before adding that she had an agonising four day wait to find out if she had bagged the role. After being told by her agent, Lauren screamed with her mum, sister and their dog before "crying.".
