Like bangers and mash, gin and tonic and tea and biscuits, some things are simply better together. Ruth Jones and James Corden are just the same – a dream comedic duo who will always be the nation’s favourite platonic pairing.
After meeting on the set of hit ITV drama Fat Friends back in 2000, they became firm friends and epic writing partners – they penned Gavin & Stacey just after the series came to an end, with Ruth winning the Bafta for Best Female Performance in a Comedy for her performance as Nessa Jenkins earlier this year.
Finally, the duo have given Gavin & Stacey fans something to rejoice about. No, the show isn’t returning – Ruth has confirmed it really is finished. However, excitingly, Ruth and James are set to write and star in an all-new sitcom for Apple TV, as part of a deal reportedly worth seven figures.
According to Deadline, Ruth and James’s new project will be called The Choir. As soon as Ruth took home her Bafta accolade in May this year, fans immediately wondered if she would ever work with James on a sitcom again.
The Gavin & Stacey finale that aired on Christmas Day in 2024 became the most-watched TV show in the UK of the year, with over 20 million people tuning in.
James was delighted to see his writing partner win the award, with Ruth offering emotional words of thanks to her long-time collaborator and Gavin & Stacey co-star during a tearful acceptance speech.
When asked directly at the ceremony whether she’d ever work with James again, Ruth strongly hinted that she would. “I love working with James Corden, I really do, and I hope that we will carry on working together,” she said.
Ruth went on to hint about the possibility of a new collaboration, adding, “I think we will. We will, because we just both, like, sort of sitting in a room together. Yeah, I just love working with him.”
Now that time is officially here, and The Choir is going to make its way to Apple TV.
(Image credit: BBC/Everett Collection/Alamy)
What will Ruth Jones and James Corden’s new show be about?
It’s not only the name of the new show that’s been released, but an exciting number of plot details have also been given about the upcoming sitcom.
Ruth and James are set to star as brother and sister in The Choir, Ben and Lisa. The siblings haven’t seen each other for several years, with Ben having been living abroad, and Lisa remaining in the small English town they grew up in – where nothing ever happens.
The story begins to unfold when Ben is forced to return to the place Lisa still lives, to a town he never liked and a family from which he’s estranged. It’s a life Ben never wanted, and it will be a challenge for him to return.
This is what is known so far, and Ruth and James themselves are yet to comment on what to expect from the series. A release date has not yet been issued, but we will keep you updated when we know when to expect the show on our screens.
