Gavin and Stacey spoilers follow.
Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones is set to reprise her role as Nessa on New Year's Day.
It's been confirmed that BBC Radio 4 will celebrate 100 hundred years of the Shipping Forecast being broadcast on the BBC with a full day of special programming on January 1, including a reading from Jones in character as Nessa.
"Nessa has got quite a colourful history and one of her jobs was on the high seas," Jones said. "The Shipping Forecast was always very important and useful to her."
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Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar and former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh are also among the celebrities who’ll give readings of historic shipping forecasts, as well as The Chase's Paul Sinha and Blur frontman Damon Albarn.
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"The Shipping Forecast is one of our national treasures, so I’m delighted that we are cracking a bottle against the hull to launch 100 years of the Shipping Forecast on the BBC with a special schedule of programming on New Year’s Day," said Mohit Bakaya, Director of Speech and Radio 4 Controller.
"As well as providing crucial information for sea farers over the years, the Shipping Forecast is also a cherished ritual that distils the essence of Radio 4 for so many of our listeners. It is also a moment for those great, unsung heroes and heroines of the Radio 4 schedule – the Continuity Announcers – to shine.
"On January 1, we will celebrate our 'national poem' with a dedicated day of fascinating programmes for listeners from Bailey to Viking, Biscay to South Utsire and everywhere in between."
Related: James Corden confirms Gavin & Stacey "can’t carry on" beyond Christmas special
Gavin and Stacey returned to screens with a new festive special on Christmas Day, five years after the 2019 special ended on a cliffhanger that saw Nessa get down on one knee and propose to Smithy.
The 2024 special officially wrapped up the stories of its beloved characters from Essex and Barry, including a long-awaited wedding between Nessa and Smithy.
The finale attracted the largest Christmas Day audience in over a decade, drawing in an average of 12.3 million viewers.
The Gavin & Stacey 2024 Christmas special and series 1-3 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
