A COUPLE affectionately known by their family and friends as ‘the real Gavin and Stacey’ are hoping for a special opportunity to celebrate their unique love story on TV.
Lucy and Stu Weston’s relationship strikingly mirrors that of the beloved TV show’s main characters. Their engagement took place over fish and chips on Barry Island, reminiscent of the show’s charming simplicity.
Living in Pembroke, the couple are long-time fans of the series that follows the romance between Essex boy Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Welsh girl Stacey (Joanna Page). Upon learning about the upcoming 2024 Christmas special, which will be the final episode of Gavin and Stacey, they decided to go all out to become extras on the show and fulfill a dream of appearing alongside their idols.
Lucy shared her determined efforts: “I have been trying to find a way of applying to be on the show due to air this Christmas. I have emailed the BBC, Newsnight, newspapers, casting agencies, and I have even sent direct messages to James Corden and Ruth Jones on Twitter.”
Lucy, a re-enablement assistant for Pembrokeshire County Council, and Stu, a 39-year-old self-employed builder, met on a dating site in 2009. Much like Gavin and Stacey, their initial connection involved long distances. However, Lucy and her best friend Kerry—who interestingly resembles Stacey’s friend Nessa—soon made an overnight trip from Pembroke to the Midlands to meet Stu and his best mate Dale.
Lucy reminisced: “A few days later, Stu turned up on my mum’s doorstep, out of the blue. He told me he loved me and couldn’t stop thinking about me. I told him I felt exactly the same and threw myself into his arms. That night we went for a walk to try and figure out how we could make it work.
“Stu stayed in Pembroke with me for a couple of days. We had a lovely time, and I knew from that moment I had found someone special. When it was time for him to leave, I decided to ditch work and go with him. When we arrived at his parents’ house, I had the warmest welcome.”
Stuart soon moved to Wales, found local employment, and the couple welcomed their first son, Ben, now 13. Stuart proposed during a trip to Barry Island, leading to a Welsh wedding in Freshwater East. Their second son, Zac, now 10, was born nine months later.
Lucy explained: “We bought our first home right across the road from where I grew up and where my dad still lives. Just like Uncle Bryn in the show, he is always popping in to make sure we are all okay. Whenever Stu and I fall out, we send each other clips or songs from the show to make friends again. We still watch it most nights to fall asleep to. It is ‘our’ show. We absolutely love it! Our friends and family nickname us ‘the real Gavin and Stacey’.”
“But unlike Gavin and Stacey, our love has never gone stagnant, my brother has never gone on a dodgy fishing trip, and my mother has had new towels since her wedding! And in our version, our Nessa and Smithy never ended up together but remain friends and are as mad as ever.
“So it would be the perfect tribute to our love story if we could appear on Gavin and Stacey’s very last episode as extras.”
