Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman reveals she ‘almost quit’ acting for a very different career before her big break

Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman revealed she ‘almost quit’ acting for a surprising career.

The 39-year-old, from London, who famously appeared as Sonia in the 2019 and 2024 specials of the BBC series admitted she once considered baking cakes for farmers markets when acting roles started to dry up. 

The former Casualty actress had a varied career with roles in shows like The Job Lot and Waterloo Road but admitted that she went through a ‘brief period’ of unemployment and had to think of creative ways to make money. 

Laura admitted she had many jobs to keep her head above water throughout the years which were ‘absolutely dreadfully’.

Speaking to The Sunday Times Style magazine, she said: ‘Being an actor comes with a certain level of anxiety about when that next job is going to come, and trekking really takes you away from it and makes you commit to not being even remotely in that headspace.

‘Whereas if you’re on a beach holiday, which I am also a fan of, your phone is still by your side all the time, so I think it’s harder to completely put your career in the bin for a bit.

‘I’ve done so many other jobs, but all of them absolutely dreadfully. There was a brief period of unemployment about 10 years ago when I considered baking cakes for a farmers’ market but I think I’d be the size of a house if that had worked out!’    

During the Christmas day Gavin and Stacey finale, fans were on the edge of their seats when Smithy’s (James Corden) fiancée was revealed as Laura’s character Sonia, rather than Ruth Jones’ Nessa.

Her appearance came as a shock to the nation, as Laura had been ‘hidden away’ in a separate hotel during filming, and she had signed an NDA preventing her from revealing she was returning.

Laura admitted that it was ‘terrifying’ to walk on set because she was aware that she was joining big names such as James Corden, Ruth Jones and Alison Steadman. 

She claimed it was even more ‘nerve-wracking’ filming a wedding ceremony because all eyes were on her, however she said the cast were all very ‘supportive.’

However, as 12.5 million viewers gasped in shock at the big reveal, no one was more dumbfounded than her beloved parents – who had no clue she was making her big comeback.

Taking to Instagram the next morning on Boxing Day, the actress shared a clip of the moment the huge surprise was unveiled to her unsuspecting parents.

She wrote: ‘The moment my family realise Sonia is ruining Christmas again…’ alongside the hilarious video.

Her mother’s mouth flew open as she sat up and pointed at the screen, before she screamed: ‘Oh my God! What?! You never told us!’

Unable to contain her laughter, Laura responded: ‘We never told anyone!’ while the rest of her family continued to scream with surprise in the background.

Laura added in the caption: ‘I take an NDA very seriously #gavinandstaceythefinale #gavinandstacey.’

Gavin And Stacey director Christine Gernon also took to Instagram after the finale aired to reveal the extent of the extreme measures taken to her comeback secret under wraps.

Sharing a snap of Laura alongside Alison Steadman, who portrays Pam in the BBC show, the director quipped: ‘@lauraikman spent the whole g&s shoot being hidden away.

‘Staying in a different hotel, not allowed to come to wrap or screening parties so no one knew Sonia was back. Such a great reveal. And she’s amazing as both actor and person.’

Sonia’s bridesmaid Anna, played by Lauren Cornelius, has also detailed how the plot was kept underwraps, with nothing was given away until the first read through.

Speaking in an interview with The Mirror, she explained: ‘We never met Laura until filming, she was secret, she was in different hotels and not allowed to be part of anything. She didn’t exist, her name wasn’t on anything.

‘Hearing the story for the first time because none of us were sent the script, we didn’t know anything, everything was revealed at the first read through.’

James Corden also issued Laura with multiple names throughout the process to keep everyone off track.

‘It was Katie first, then it was Leticia, and then it was Anna,’ she said. ‘It was totally wild, it was surreal in itself, it was absolutely incredible.’

The Christmas special and finale came five years after the show’s last Christmas instalment in 2019.

In the previous episode, filmed half a decade ago, fans were left on the edge of their seats waiting to see what Smithy would say to Nessa after she got down on one knee.

The final episode was hailed ‘perfect’ by viewers, who were left in tears as the long-running show finally aired its last episode after 17 years.

While fans tuned into the episode to see whether Smithy had accepted Nessa’s proposal, a five-year time jump revealed that he was indeed set to tie the knot, but all was not as it seemed.

It was revealed that Smithy had instead got engaged to his girlfriend Sonia, who failed to impress the Shipman/West clan when she met them in the last festive episode.

Fans were also treated to the surprise return of Sheridan Smith as Smithy’s sister Rudi, and Pam Ferris as his mum Cath.

Yet when it came to Smithy’s big day he realised that Nessa was his one true love and called off the wedding.

The entire family jumped into Dave’s coach and rushed to Southampton, where Nessa was preparing to set sail, and in a scene 17 years in the making, he declared his love for her, and asked her to reconsider leaving.

While an ever-stoic Nessa insisted she wouldn’t propose to Smithy again, instead he returned her offer from five years earlier, finally getting down on one knee and asking her to marry him.

The episode then cut to Smithy and Nessa exchanging their vows at long last in an intimate ceremony in Barry, with the series ending with an emotional montage of the family marking the occasion at The Dolphin pub, before posing for a family snap together.