Ruth Jones (I)

Rob Brydon slams Gavin & Stacey musical idea

Comedian Rob Brydon has slated Ruth Jones's idea for a Gavin & Stacey musical.

In the real world, Stella would so be with solid, dependable lollipop man Alan. But this is Ruth Jones's cheery comedy drama so, despite the gritty Welsh setting, she bags hunky Sean (Kenny Doughty), the tousled young man that does... quite a lot. But is he a keeper or just a fly-by-night? And has prospective son-in-law Sunil been playing away?

If you're chilled by the winter evenings, try Ruth Jones's warm Welsh lilt of a show. It'll put a spring in your step to match its heroine. Single mother-of-three Stella is wearing a smile wider than the Rhondda Valley, thanks to a night with her new fella Sean.

It means heartbreak for lollipop man Alan, who's even sporting a toupee in a bid to impress her. Maybe his luck will change with hopeless but hearty life coach Nancy Crock (a lovely turn from Joanna Scanlan). But the thrust of the episode is Stel's suspicion that her son-in-law-to-be, Sunil, is playing away. What will she tell her expectant daughter Emma?

Stella is funny and friendly - who wouldn't want to live in Pontyberry? - with beautifully surreal touches to give it some bite, like the horse who lives in the house opposite. Beaut!

Ruth Jones's enjoyably observant comedy about a Welsh single mother finds her character, Stella, in buoyant mood after a night with dishy painter and decorator Sean (Kenny Doughty). "Oh my God, I'm 42 and I'm snogging in the street," she says. Meanwhile, lovestruck, and pregnant, daughter Emma (Catrin Stewart) suspects her boyfriend Sunil (Rory Girvan) is cheating on her when her brother Luke sees him with another girl. And so the ever-protective Stella undertakes a reconnaissance mission to find out exactly what he's up to.

The lush Welsh landscape is an unexpected bonus of Ruth Jones's eccentrically feelgood series and we take the scenic route to the Brecon Beacons after her brother Dai and Paula's hilariously passionate relationship hits an ­unexpected wobble.

Romantically though, single mum of three Stella is about to turn a corner herself as she prepares for a date with toyboy painter and decorator Sean.

But, at 42, she's not sure she's ready yet to plunge back into all that carry on. How long does it take to lose 2st anyway?

Lovestruck rugby coach Alan finds himself enlisted in Stella's new fitness regime, but what she doesn't seem to have noticed is that he's keeping a special VIP area in his heart just for her.

This salty Welsh serial is a twinkling, Friday-night gem. Creator/star Ruth Jones strikes just the right balance: it's genial but not sentimental and rude without being mucky. Stella looks lovely (it was filmed in the Welsh valleys), makes witty use of pop songs and is chock full of dialogue you'll want to memorise for the pub.

This week, Stella joins her son Ben's rugby training session to get fit for her first date with Sean the Scouser (who's actually from Barnsley). But she's sidetracked by a family crisis when her insolvent brother Dai does a runner. It's a surprise when Ben's first rugby match against a bunch of thugs goes all Hollywood. But don't worry; it's not for long.

Stella psyches herself up for her date with Sean but is terrified of him seeing her in the buff. Big Alan still thinks he's in with a chance and hopes to woo her at the rugby. Meanwhile, her brother Dai goes to pieces when the benefits office questions his disability payments, and a letter arrives from Canada with life-changing news for Luke. But the plot is mildly diverting background for Ruth Jones's performance and able support from Elizabeth Berrington and Owen Teale. If it was in any doubt, the show has second series written all over it.

Stella's still being pursued by the handsome boxer/decorator but has no idea why. She goes to see Emma's prospective in-laws and finds them ideologically opposed when it comes to a woman's place in the home. The show's appeal is 90% down to Ruth Jones's effortless performance. She doesn't telegraph emotions or sentiment, but simply lets them play gently across her face. You are rooting for her in every scene. If this is the kind of thing she produces sans Corden, she is on to a winner.

Neil Kinnock makes cameo appearance in Stella

Neil Kinnock films a cameo in Ruth Jones' sitcom Stella - and is revealed as an unlikely crush for the downtrodden housewife.