Gavin and Stacey drama as actor went ‘missing’ ahead of finale after secretly changing his name

JAMES Corden almost had to completely rethink Smithy’s Gavin & Stacey stag do because one of the actors had entirely disappeared. 

The original actors who played the lads’ group of friends were all invited back for the Christmas Day finale to take part in the stag do and failed wedding to Sonia. 

But casting teams for the BBC sitcom couldn’t find Daniel Jeffrey, who played one half of a double act known as Gary ‘n’ Simon.

Speaking in tonight’s special documentary, A Fond Farewell, Co-creator Ruth Jones said: “Lauren the casting director, she did a bit of detective work to track him down.”

Daniel, who plays Simon, is now a barrister. 

He said: “I actually can't believe she found me, because I had a stage name. It was Daniel Knightley, because I was working in a cinema at the time and was like ‘I need a better name’ and I landed on a Keira Knightley poster and thought ‘Daniel Knightley’ so I didn't even have the same name. 

“She tracked me down to the police before I became a barrister, got in touch with my chambers who said ‘oh someone from a casting agency has contacted you’.

“And I said ‘that can really only be one thing cos I’ve only ever been in one thing!’”

Daniel posted snaps from his time on set on his professional LinkedIn page.

He wrote: "Little break from the day job."

Viewers loved to see the old gang back together, including Dirtbox, Chinese Alan and Budgie, played by Russell Tobin. 

Larry Lamb, who plays Gavin’s dad Mick Shipman, said: “It’s like a supercharged flight through time.

“That’s a bit dramatic but that’s what it’s like seeing all these lads - they were all in their 20s and now they’re in their 40s.”

Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell airs tonight, New Years Day, at 7pm on BBC One.