The 'Gavin and Stacey' cast never visited Essex for filming.
Larry Lamb has revealed the surprised filming secret
The hit BBC show was set across the Barry in South Wales and Billericay in the county of Essex, but Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb - who played Gavin's parents Pam and Mick - have revealed they never actually visited their characters' hometown.
Larry told the Radio Times magazine: "'Gavin and Stacey' was all filmed in Wales, nobody offered us the opportunity to go to Essex.
“They said, ‘Billericay’s where you’re from’, so we just got on with it, we just do what we’re told.”
The pair visited the town for the first time while filming upcoming show 'Alison and Larry: Billericay to Barry' for Gold and planted a tree in honour of their trip.
He said: "When we got there on this trip we received a lovely welcome. The town councillors turned out and the mayor was there.”
Alison added: "We planted a tree! It survives, hopefully.”
The three part travel show will see them on a 200 mile drive between the two towns, with plenty of stops along the way.
Larry reflected: "It felt like unfinished business, particularly going to Billericay.
“In 'Gavin and Stacey', Barry got lots of attention, and Billericay was the poor relation. Both have become such famous places.
"I thought it was a great idea, and I couldn’t think of anybody other than Alison I’d like to do the trip with… well, probably one or two!”
'Gavin and Stacey' - which was written by co-stars James Corden and Ruth Jones - originally ran for three series between 2007 and 2010, before the cast reunited for a one off Christmas special in 2019.
Last month, Joanna Page - who played Stacey opposite Mathew Horne's Gavin - revealed she would be part of the upcoming travel show.
She told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "Alison and Larry have just done a show where they're going from 'Barry to Billericay' and I’ve done the voiceover and I found it really difficult to voice because I was watching them and I kept missing my cue.
"And I was going ‘Look at them, they're like my mum and dad!’ I couldn't take it seriously because I was smiling and laughing."
Tagged in Larry Lamb Mathew Horne Alison Steadman