A star on Gavin & Stacey has let slip the meaning behind one of show's enduring gags.

When the BBC show hit our screens in 2007, it instantly became a national treasure. Spanning three seasons until 2010, its been hailed as one of the greatest British sitcoms of this century.

Charting the romantic journey of Stacey (played by Joanna Page) and Gavin (Matthew Horne), along with their quirky friends and relatives, the series cultivated an ardent fanbase.

Fans are buzzing with excitement this year, as the series gears up for its grand finale with a last Christmas special set to broadcast on Christmas Day. The shows creators and leading lights, James Corden and Ruth Jones, who portray Smithy and Nessa respectively, have hyped up the suspense with their announcement, sparking widespread elation online.

The Owain actor revealed the truth

Throughout its run, Gavin and Stacey has served fans with a buffet of memorable quips and punchlines, but there's one joke, in particular, thats left audiences scratching their heads the mystery surrounding Owain Hughes, reports the Daily Star.

Portrayed by Steve Meo, Owain Hughes first walked into the scene in the debut episode of the third series, striking confusion into Gavin when meeting at work by introducing himself as "Owain Hughes, and before you ask... No I don't! "only to follow it up with laughter shared by a co-worker who got the joke, while Gavin was left perplexed. Even Gavin's uncle-in-law Bryn West, played by Rob Brydon, seems to be in on the joke.

Upon arriving at Gavin's workplace, Gavin introduced Bryn to Owain. The much-loved uncle exclaimed: "Owain Hughes! And do you? " To which Owain responded: "No I don't," prompting laughter from him and a colleague.

Later in the episode, a puzzled Gavin asked his best mate Smithy (played by James Corden) about the joke, leaving Smithy just as perplexed. Over time, fans have been scratching their heads trying to decipher the 'true' meaning behind the name gag. Finally, actor Steve Meo, who played Owain, has spilled the beans.

But according to Steve, the answer isn't as complex as fans might imagine. He disclosed to WalesOnline: "It is a red herring designed to infuriate and spark debate." He also shared: "Funnily enough when I first went in for the audition that's the first thing I asked Ruth (Jones, co-creator) 'there isn't a joke is there because I'm going mad.'".

Steve then recounted an incident where Gavin and Stacey enthusiasts were so eager to uncover the mystery of the joke that they even confronted his mother in a Tesco store.

He remembered a call from his mum while she was shopping: "She said 'right, you've got to tell me. The manager's just said over the tannoy now that if anyone can tell him what the joke means they'll get a free bottle of wine.' I said 'sorry mam, I'm contractually obliged not to tell you.'" Steve revealed.

Gavin & Stacey will be broadcast on BBC One on Christmas Day