The last ever episode of the hit British sitcom took the top spot and was watched by a staggering 12.3 million viewers, beating their last Christmas special five years ago and making it the biggest Christmas Day overnight since 2008.

The BBC can breathe easy into its festive leftovers, after all the hype, cross-promotion and marketing paid off – with the finale of long-running comedy Gavin and Stacey winning the UK’s top Christmas Day audience.

James Corden has thanked fans for tuning into the finale of his hit sitcom Gavin And Stacey after it secured the highest Christmas Day ratings since 2008. The co-creator of the BBC comedy, with Ruth Jones,