The much-adored series, penned by Ruth Jones and James Corden, makes a highly anticipated return tonight with its final Christmas special. Originally airing from 2007 to 2010 the show captured hearts with its humour and heartfelt moments. It was revived in 2019 for a special holiday episode, and now, fans will say goodbye to the characters one last time.

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Earlier this year, Corden hinted at the upcoming special during an interview with Zoe Ball on Radio 2: “When we wrote that last special we never thought we’d make another, but that special ends on such a…its ends so open I think it would be a shame to leave it there. That’s certainly my feeling and I think Ruth feels the same. It doesn’t feel like the end of a book but the end of a chapter. If we did another, that would be the end of it.”

One of the show’s most iconic elements is its theme song, ‘Run’. However, originally Fretwell was reluctant to have the track featured on the sitcom, turning down the request from his publisher friend asking for permission to use the track. 

Speaking to the BBC, the English singer-songwriter reflected: “Then about two months later it came out and it had the song on it. I saw Joe a few nights later and I said to him, ‘Hey that song is on that show’ and he said, ‘Yeah, it’s great isn’t it?’ I was like ‘I told you not to put that on the show.’ And he was like, ‘No, you said you wanted it on,‘ and he was smirking at me.” 

Despite his initial hesitation, Fretwell now regards the inclusion of his song as “the best thing anyone has ever done” for him. He’s become “incredibly proud to be associated” with Gavin & Stacey, even though he didn’t watch the sitcom at first. 

‘Run’ is a piece known for its emotional depth and simplicity. It weaves themes of love, loss, and longing with a hauntingly simple acoustic guitar melody. Its reflective lyrics make it universally relatable and perfectly complimenting the sitcom which showcases a multitude of relationships. 

Fretwell’s music has been featured in other soundtracks, including ‘Darling Don’t’ in the teen drama Skins and ‘Play’ in the 2009 film The Joneses. However, ‘Run’ remains his most recognisable track, popularised due to its association with the sitcom.

Alongside theme songs, Fretwell has released three studio albums, with his most recent, ‘Busy Guy’ (2021), marking his return after a decade-long hiatus. The album’s raw honesty and introspective themes earned widespread critical acclaim, reaffirming Fretwell’s reputation as a unique and compelling storyteller. 

On BBC One tonight at 9pm, as Gavin & Stacey comes to its final chapter, Stephen Fretwell’s ‘Run’ will once again play throughout the nation. For fans of the show and Fretwell’s music alike, it’s a poignant and bittersweet farewell to an iconic pairing. 

Posting on his Instagram account, Fretwell wrote: “After not releasing any music for thirteen years, it is a pleasure to say… Here is my new single ‘Oval’. It is taken from my album, set to be released later this summer. Hope you like it! Lots of love to you and yours, Stephen x” 

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Fans were teased with the possibility of new music when the singer changed his profile picture on Facebook on 26th February. His record label Speedy Wunderground also tweeted his photograph on this day, cryptically posting “MONDAY”. They also tweeted #FoundFretwell, a reference to #findfretwell, a fan hashtag noting the singer’s long-time absence. 

Fans were understandably thrilled at the news.  

thedoebear posted: “Beautiful stuff @stephenfretwellmusic looking forward to hearing more and glad you’re well.” 

Jaytoph wrote: “Absolutely brilliant news! Great to hear new music from you Stephen! You have been sorely missed.” 

Nickwoodmusic added: “Great track, and such a joy to hear some new music after such a long time. At the risk I of being greedy, will there be a tour?” 

Speaking on the subject of the song, Fretwell said: “I think it is a song about marriage, the actuality of it, the responsibility of it, and the gamble. When my girlfriend was pregnant with our first son, we moved to a flat near the Oval in London. As our marriage fell apart a few years ago, it was this simple song that was the only thing I had to stick in the ground and push on with making some new music.” 

Stephen released his first album in 2002, a mini-album named 8 Songs. He then went on to release Magpie in 2004 and Man on the Roof in 2007, which was nominated for the Ivor Novello Award for Best Album. He has supported the likes of Oasis, KT Tunstall, Elbow and Travis on tour. He is also well-known for providing the theme song for BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey, in the form of single Run.