James Corden has announced he and Ruth Jones have written a new script for 'Gavin and Stacey'. AP
James Corden has announced he and Ruth Jones have written a new script for 'Gavin and Stacey'. AP
James Corden has announced he and Ruth Jones have written a new script for 'Gavin and Stacey'. AP
James Corden has announced he and Ruth Jones have written a new script for 'Gavin and Stacey'. AP

'Gavin and Stacey' to return to British TVs this Christmas


Katy Gillett
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Gavin, Stacey, Smithy, Nessa – it looks like the whole gang from Gavin and Stacey is getting back together for a Christmas special this year. The British sitcom written by Ruth Jones and James Corden was a hit back when it first aired in 2007, but we haven't heard anything from Billericay and Barry since 2010. Until now.

James Corden revealed on Twitter late last night that Gavin and Stacey will return to our TV screens this Christmas.

"Ruth Jones and I have been keeping this secret for a while," he wrote alongside an image of a script. "We're excited to share it with you. See you on Christmas Day @BBCOne #GavinandStacey"

The Tweet had more than 26,400 likes and over 8,000 retweets at the time of writing.

Gavin and Stacey tells the story of two titular characters, an English fella (Mathew Horne) and a Welsh lass (Joanna Page) who fell in love while speaking over the telephone. Over three seasons (and another Christmas Special), we're introduced to each of their (brilliant) families, watch them get married and then find out they're pregnant, which is where it ended.

The BBC sent out a press release that quotes Corden and Jones as saying: "Over the last 10 years we've talked a lot about Gavin and Stacey – where they might be today and what their lives might look like.

"And so in secret we took the plunge and wrote this one-hour special. We've loved revisiting Barry and Essex again and bringing the characters back together has been a joy. We're so excited to get the chance to work with our fabulous cast and crew once more and to give fans of the show a festive treat this Christmas."

It has been confirmed Horne and Page will return to the show, as well as Rob Brydon (Uncle Bryn), Larry Lamb (Mick), Melanie Waters (Gwen) and Alison Steadman (Pam).

Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, said: "Everyone at the BBC is hugely excited to be welcoming back Gavin and Stacey to BBC One this Christmas.

"We can’t wait to see what’s happened to everyone over the last nine years, and what’s next for one of the nation’s favourite comedy families.”

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)

Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)

Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)

Dubai World Cup nominations

UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer

USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.

Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.

The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS

Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)

Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye

Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine

Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye

Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)

Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)

Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra

Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh

Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar

Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine

 

UAE Premiership

Results

Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes

Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai

One in nine do not have enough to eat

Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.

One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.

The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.

Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.

It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.

On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.

Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.

 

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