Gavin And Stacey star Laura Aikman gave away her reprisal of Sonia in the hit BBC show during an interview months before the Christmas special aired.
Fans of the comedy drama were shocked when it was revealed that Smithy, played by show co-creator James Corden, had got engaged to Sonia and not Nessa, played by co-creator Ruth Jones, after the previous episode had been left on a cliffhanger, some five years previously.
There was huge secrecy surrounding the Laura's character Sonia returning, even the actress' parents had no idea she was in the show until they saw her on screen on Christmas Day along with the other 12.5 million viewers who had tuned in. Laura revealed afterwards she was "hidden away" during the filming process, even being shut out of the cast party after filming ended so that there was no hint that she would be one of the main characters in the series finale.
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BBC)As it turned out though, it seems that Laura hinted at her bombshell return in an interview three months ago with Country and Townhouse, as she spoke about starring in ITV show, Joan. Despite having a NDA blocking her from speaking about playing Sonia, Laura did hint that she had finished a job which she "absolutely loved".
Responding to a question about how her life was at the moment, Laura said: "Life is pretty wonderful right now. I'm coming to the end of a job I have absolutely loved with a dream cast and crew, and I'm really trying to take it all in and appreciate every minute."
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BBC)With her big comeback being kept so secret, Laura shared a clip on Boxing Day of the moment that her parents saw her on screen in the final episode. She wrote alongside the clip: "The moment my family realise Sonia is ruining Christmas again..." In the hilarious video, Laura's mum was open mouthed as she pointed at the TV screen before screaming at her daughter: "Oh my God! What?! You never told us!"
Laura revealed to her parents: "We never told anyone!" She added in the caption: "I take an NDA very seriously #gavinandstaceythefinale #gavinandstacey."
Gavin And Stacey director Christine Gernon also gave an insight into the measures that were taken to ensure that Sonia's return was a big secret. Posting a pic of Laura with co-star Alison Steadman, who plays Gavin's mum Pam, Christine commented: "@lauraikman 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."
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