Gavin and Stacey creators Jones and Corden reveal celebrity cast of new show

News imagePA Media Ruth Jones is standing on the left, wearing a leopard print blouse tied with a black bow in the front. James Corden has his arm around Jones' shoulder, wearing a black shirt and thick black framed glassesPA Media
The Choir is Ruth Jones and James Corden's first project together since the Gavin and Stacey finale on Christmas Day 2024

Gavin and Stacey co-creators Ruth Jones and James Corden have revealed details about their new TV comedy drama series The Choir.

The eight-episode show will air on Apple TV and feature guest appearances by Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham, X-Men's James McAvoy and Harry Potter's Jim Broadbent.

The series follows brother Ben (Corden) and sister Lisa (Jones), who have not seen each other for several years.

The pair previously said the idea came from their family connection to choirs, with Corden's mum and Jones' sister both members of one.

Ben has been living abroad, while Lisa has continued living in their small town where "nothing ever happens".

But when events take a sorry turn, Ben is forced to return to "a life he never wanted, a town he never liked and a family from which he's estranged".

The cast includes Tom Davis, Rosie Sheehy, Susan Brown, Jason Watkins, Alexandira Riley, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Tom Edden, Gary Lamont, Emily Lloyd-Saini, Stephen Leask, Luiis Rouf, Jo Foster, Evie Jones and Farrah Abbassy.

Jones and Corden are executive producers for the series, which is now in production and set to air in 2027.

Jones previously said: "We both feel that choirs, amateur choirs especially, bring people together in a way that maybe nothing else does.

"There was just this idea to bring this group of characters together from different backgrounds, all sorts of different things going on in their lives."

Corden added they wanted "to try and make a show about community and the importance of community".

"It's just about a group of people that come together every week and enjoy and sing, and it's really about the life that's within that," he added.

News imageGetty Images The cast of Gavin and Stacey, from left to right: Larry Lamb in a black suit with white shirt, next to him is Robert Wilfort in a black suit, white shirt and black bow tie, next to him is Melanie Walters in a green dress, to her right is Rob Brydon, who is also in a black suit, white shirt and black bow tie. Next to him is Ruth Jones in a blue dress, and on her right is James Corden in a black suit, white shirt and black bow tie, next to him is Joanna Page in a light blue floral dress and on the far right is Matthew Horne in a black shirt, black jacket and black pants.Getty Images
Gavin and Stacey ran for three series, and three Christmas specials, between 2007 and 2024

When Jones and Corden first met in 2000, they never imagined it would lead to 22 episodes of a record-breaking TV show.

The pair were filming Fat Friends at the Crowne Plaza in Leeds and formed an unexpected friendship.

They then co-wrote Gavin and Stacey, in which they played Vanessa "Nessa" Jenkins and Neil "Smithy" Smith, the best friends of the title characters

The hit comedy ran for three series, and three Christmas specials, between 2007 and 2024.

Their memoir was published on 9 October - almost a year on from the show's record-breaking finale on Christmas Day 2024.

News imageBBC/Owen Bell Ruth Jones stands with Steve Speirs with his arm around her. She is smiling holding a clapperboard, wearing a brown jacket has has a short grey bob. Steve Speirs is smiling, with a checked shirt with a blue jumper vest over it. A shop background is behind them, with a box of peppers in sight. BBC/Owen Bell
Ruth Jones has been working on another comedy with Steve Speirs about two people who strike up an unlikely friendship

Alongside their new collaboration, Jones recently appeared in new Netflix series Run Away - based on the Harlan Coben novel.

She has also teamed up with Steve Speirs in a six-part comedy series called Better Later, about the challenges of relationships in middle age.

Jones recently portrayed Mrs Bennet in another comedy series, The Other Bennet Sister, which was inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, while Corden has just finished a stint on Broadway.