Gavin & Stacey role a 'wow moment' in actor's award-winning career

Playing a small role in the finale of BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey has been a high point in an award-winning career that spans stage and screen, according to Welsh actor Rakie Ayola.

She said playing the registrar who married TV fans' favourites Nessa and Smithy, played by show writers Ruth Jones and James Corden, was a pivotal moment.

"Standing between Ruth and James, it suddenly occurred to me that this was the picture," said Ayola.

"I thought, 'wow, look at me, so this is the most important and influential minute of my career'."

The Bafta Cymru award-winning actor has appeared in TV dramas including The Pact, Anthony, Silent Witness, Casualty and Doctor Who, among others.

Ayola, from Cardiff, explained how the opportunity to appear in the comedy, set between Barry and Billericay, came about after she bumped into Jones while visiting a theatre.