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.

Fans have been uncovering actress Laura Aikman's early TV past following her unexpected appearance in the last episode of the sitcom