Barry Island’s ‘real-life Nessa’ claims she knows what really happened on infamous Gavin and Stacey fishing trip

Nation Cymru staff

Since it first aired in 2007, Gavin and Stacey has become one of the nation’s most beloved sitcoms, winning over millions of viewers and drawing in a record audience for its final episode in 2024.

But for Barry Island local Karen Barrett, the award-winning sitcom has now become her life after she found an unexpected career as a Nessa lookalike – known locally as ‘Knock Off Nessa’.

Ever since donning Nessa’s iconic leather skirt for the first time back in 2019, Karen has entertained fans at weddings and nightclubs, and she’s also appeared on This Morning – all while running Gavin and Stacey tours aboard the Dave’s Coaches coach.

Karen, from Nesflix Barry Island Tours, spoke with SMC Coach Hire, sharing the behind-the-scenes secrets she’s been told over the years, including the surprising Easter eggs fans may have missed and her funny encounter with Peter Andre.

Karen also has insider information about the infamous fishing trip, which she keeps as a special surprise for fans who join her tours.

How did the idea of being a Nessa impersonator come about?

I’ve been a massive Gavin & Stacey fan since they filmed the pilot in Barry. I actually had a business on the island at the time, so I watched them filming from the very beginning. I loved it from day one, and when it finally aired on TV, I just fell in love with all the characters. Then, in 2019, Ruth Jones came to Barry to switch on the Christmas lights after the Christmas special aired. They weren’t expecting so many people. The square holds about 1,000 people, but around 6,000 turned up. It was a logistical nightmare. I felt so sorry for Ruth because she’d done such a brilliant job, but if you weren’t right at the front, you couldn’t see or hear a thing.

At the time, I was running a café and our own Christmas lights switch-on was a couple of weeks later. I thought, ‘How funny would it be to dress up as Nessa and run up and down the high street?’ It went really well, and then my best friend Donna, who works as a Lady Gaga impersonator, knew someone who worked for a lookalike company – Andy, who was also a David Beckham impersonator.

They were looking for a Nessa impersonator, so my friend persuaded me to send in a video audition during lockdown. Two days later, I was booked to be a body double for Ruth for a BBC advert. It went from there!

How did you land the gig doing tours on Dave’s Coaches?

I dressed up one day and decided to go out to Gwen’s house, and when I got there, Dave Coaches was there too. They’d been doing tours for years and they offered me a job on the spot. I play Nessa on Fridays with them, and I also run my own company doing adults-only evening tours. It’s a bit more tongue-in-cheek and lets me lean into Nessa’s cheekier side. We’ve got drinks, karaoke, quizzes and plenty of laughs, so it’s a much more grown-up experience. It’s all about having fun and bringing the character to life in a different way.

Have you ever got to meet Ruth Jones?

Yes, we were invited on Jonathan Davies chat show Jonathan on S4C together and had to play rugby. James Corden also knows who I am and thinks it’s absolutely hilarious.

He told me, ‘Ruth thinks it’s really funny,’ and he said he cries with laughter every time I come up on his feed. I just can’t believe I’m on James Corden’s feed!

You got invited on Good Morning Britain, what was that experience like?

They were fabulous. They got me into the studio, did my makeup and hair, and made me feel like a queen. I remember one moment I popped out to grab a coffee, and when I came back, Peter Andre was sitting in my chair. I put on my Nessa voice and said, ‘What you doing, Pete?’ He jumped straight up and gave me a big hug and said he was a fan.

Host Richard Madeley seemed to love you…

He was lovely. He and I sat and chatted for a few minutes during the break. He told me how amazing it was to meet me and said he couldn’t get over the two sides of my personality, from being a full-time carer to becoming Nessa. He told me next time he was in Barry, he was going to look me up and take me for a night out!

Have you got any other celebrity fans?

The actor Luke Evans. He was filming on Barry Island recently and I went over to have a chat and took some photos. He was lovely.

Does getting into character as Nessa happen quite naturally?

I’ve got the advantage of being from Barry, so the accent comes naturally. I live and breathe Gavin and Stacey every day of my life.

There isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not doing something related to the show, whether that’s dressing up as Nessa, performing at weddings and birthdays, or hosting tours. I’m not a one-trick pony; I do a bit of everything!

Have you ever been mistaken as Nessa by members of the public?

I met a lovely woman who was 92 and had recently been discharged from hospital so she could enjoy a special day out. One of the things on her bucket list was to visit the Gavin and Stacey house and meet Ruth Jones as Nessa. I was outside on Barry Island when they drove past and stopped. When she came over, she was shaking and crying. She couldn’t believe her wish had come true. Her daughter caught my eye and was winking as if to say ‘go along with it’.

What’s been the funniest interaction you’ve had with the public?

I once did a job at a student nightclub in Bristol where I had to dress up as Nessa and throw burgers into the crowd. A young lad, who must have been about 18 or 19, came over to me and said, ‘Ness, I saw the way you threw that burger at me. Will you marry me?’ I get so many marriage proposals when I’m Nessa. It always makes me laugh.

This job brings a lot of joy but has it changed things for you financially?

I’m a carer, so that’s been my focus for many, many years. When Nessa came along, it felt like I finally had the chance to do something for me. I’ve always been a bit of a show-off, a dancer, a singer and someone who loves running around performing, so this opportunity felt really special. It’s difficult to know where the market is because there isn’t really one. It’s just based on what people are willing to pay. But when I started doing bigger adverts and projects, that’s when the money started coming in. For the first time, I’ve been able to save money, and in this economy I know how lucky I am. It’s been wonderful.

Do you have a theory about what really happened on the infamous fishing trip with Uncle Bryn and Jason?

Oh, I know what happened! But I can’t say. I don’t want to break an NDA. But I found out from a very, very close source to Ruth and there’s actual footage. Not the footage they released after the finale, but something else. They filmed the scenes on the island. I won’t say what it is. I’ll have to take it to the grave.

What’s your favourite behind-the-scenes secret from the show?

I was told the scene where Uncle Bryn sings Something Inside So Strong at Baby Neil’s christening, with Doris playing the drums, took 47 takes to film because Margaret John, who played Doris, just couldn’t hit the drum in time. They even had a member of the cast crouched between the pews with a pen, saying, ‘Just watch my hands and hit the drum on the beat,’ but she still couldn’t quite get it. It ended up creating absolute comedy gold.

That’s one of my favourite behind-the-scenes stories because I remember how joyful Margaret was, what she brought to the show and how much she’s missed. But she’s been immortalised as Doris, so she’ll never really go anywhere.

You do the Gavin and Stacey Tour on Dave’s Coaches. Are there any mementos from the show onboard?

The tour has been running for a while, so we usually have an air freshener from the Barrybados souvenir shop, which sells loads of Gavin & Stacey memorabilia on the island.

For the 2024 special, they accidentally left it in the coach, so if you watch closely, you can actually see it swinging by Dave’s head while he’s driving everyone to catch Nessa.

What reaction do you get when it’s driven around?

People stop and stare all the time. They take photos and are always asking, ‘Can we sit in Dave’s seat?’ or ‘Can we get a photo with you?’ We have a few drop-off points on the tour, including the spot where Stacey gets off the coach and is met by our Gavin. Whenever we stop there, there are always hundreds of people around, whether they’re heading to and from the island, sitting in the cafes or in the arcades. It can easily take 10 minutes to get going again because everyone wants to come over and say hello or grab a photo.

What are the biggest advantages to the tour being on the coach?

It gives people the chance to see even more of the locations, but it’s not just about that. We also share lots of behind-the-scenes stories and facts as we go, so fans get to learn things they wouldn’t otherwise know. We stop at the church and recreate Nessa walking down the aisle. It makes people feel like they’re part of the show, and they absolutely love it.

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