Rob Brydon almost turned down Gavin & Stacey's Bryn — here's why

Rob Brydon has revealed he had doubts about playing Bryn West in Gavin & Stacey.

The Would I Lie To You? host had concerns that the part was too similar to his role as Keith Barret in Marion and Geoff, the BBC sitcom he co-created that ran from 2000 to 2003. Both Keith and Bryn are somewhat naive about the world. But Rob says a conversation with Gavin & Stacey co-creator James Corden convinced him to take the part of Bryn.

Rob recalls: "Well, my earliest Gavin and Stacey-related memory is sitting on a bench at Manley Beach in Sydney, Australia. I was over there filming a series I did called Supernova for the BBC and James was there, he was doing 'The History Boys World Tour', and I was umming and aahing about doing Gavin and Stacey, because I thought there were some similarities between Bryn and Keith Barrett.

"And at that point, I still harbored dreams of being Al Pacino, you know, and playing this wide range of parts. James and I sat together on the bench and talked about the show and that's my first clear memory of Gavin and Stacey."

Now, Rob is returning for the final ever episode of Gavin & Stacey, which will air on Christmas Day on BBC One. He said reading the script he was "blown away".

"It actually moved me to tears, you know, as I was reading some of it out loud to my wife, and my eyes sort of caught my voice, as it were when reading it. So I thought it was just superb."

As to his feelings about being on the set for the final time with everyone, Rob says: "Hugely emotional, and it would hit me at times when we were filming big scenes with lots of people. We do a fair bit in Pam and Mick's house, and just seeing everybody there, I would find myself filling up with tears just looking at them.

"That might sound a little bit overly dramatic I suppose to some people, but you have to understand that it's been 17 years. That's a long time. Joanna Page didn't have any children when we started doing this, and now she's got more than she can count. So it was just wonderful. It really was. It was just wonderful, and unlike anything else I've ever done."

Marion and Geoff and Gavin & Stacey's previous episodes are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. The Gavin & Stacey Christmas special 2024 will air on Christmas Day on BBC One at 9 pm. We have a Christmas TV guide on all the great shows to enjoy over the festive season.