If James Corden’s career ever goes pear-shaped, he really ought to consider a job in crowd control if his efforts to disperse fans are anything to go by.
The 46-year-old was like a shepherd herding his flock when it came to getting gawking bystanders out of the way while the Gavin and Stacey gang were filming.
Barry Island has been abuzz after the actor announced he was hopping back in Smithy’s banged-up blue Volvo as the first day of filming the sitcom’s last hurrah, which will air in December, began.
He shared a snap of his character’s iconic car – which is emblazoned with the slogan, ‘Smithy’s: if your husband won’t do it – I will… Tilin, roofin, plasterin, & feng shui’ – in an Instagram post on Monday (2 September).
He captioned the snap: “Day 1. Here we go.”
And as you can imagine, this sent Gavin and Stacey fans into quite the frenzy.
The fact that Ruth Jones has been spotted out and about around the Welsh island hasn’t helped matters either, while Rob Brydon – AKA Uncle Bryn – also teased viewers by sharing a selfie with her on social media.
Advertised road closures are also dotted around Barry which suggest the cast will be shooting the Christmas special in various areas over the next week, according to the BBC.
So besides from putting an advert in the paper, there’s not much else the Gavin and Stacey stars could have done to let people know that filming has commenced.
And it doesn’t take a genius to work out where some of the scenes will be shot, so mobs of fans have obviously been turning up at all of the cast’s usual haunts on Barry Island.
Marco’s Cafe, which sits on the seafront, is where Joanna Page’s character Stacey worked, while it is also just a stone’s throw away from the arcade which Nessa was employed in.
And of course, this Gavin and Stacey landmark is going to appear in the Christmas special.
But just hours after filming began, Corden was forced to corral the crowd of people who had gathered on the promenade to try and get a sneak-peek of the shoot.
In a TikTok video, the former Late Late Show host was seen addressing fans as long-time viewers of the show congregated just metres away from the camera crew.
Corden said: “Thank you for coming down to see us, it means a great deal to all of us. But when we’re doing the scene, it will just be too difficult to shoot everybody out.
“So, you’re welcome to hang around – it will be quite a long, boring evening.
“But you’re going to have to go over that way…is that alright? Is that OK? Thanks ever so much.”
Gesturing to his left, Corden directed the army of fans out of the way so that they wouldn’t cause too much trouble for the tech whizzes who have to edit the show together.
James Corden has been praised for how he handled fans (TikTok/@markd2005)
And due to his tact, people have been heaping praise on the Brit star for how he handled the situation.
One person said: “He was so nice about it, fair play.”
Another wrote: “They could never make me hate you, James.”
A third added: “Not a fan of Gavin and Stacey but that’s how you handle fans watching the filming. Not being heavy handed like some production teams.”
While a fourth chimed in: “Said it in the nicest possible way. Fair play. Tidy.”
