Ruth Jones made a high‑profile return to the red carpet at the National Television Awards on Wednesday, wearing a dark purple, fully sequined gown in her first public appearance since announcing the end of her marriage to David Peet.
The Gavin & Stacey writer and star, 58, joined castmates as the comedy was voted Best Comedy by the viewing public. Jones’s gown featured flowing cap sleeves trimmed with feathers; she complemented the outfit with gold accessories including a sequin clutch, hoop earrings and a bracelet.
Jones took to the stage alongside Rob Brydon, Melanie Walters, Rob Wilfort, Laura Aikman and Larry Lamb to accept the award. When Lamb handed her the gong and made way for her to speak, Jones — briefly slipping into her Gavin & Stacey character Nessa — said: "Yeah, all right, calm down. I'm going to the bar now for a pint of wine."
Jones announced in June that she and Peet, a television executive, had ended their 26‑year marriage. She said the couple had split about 18 months earlier and were now "legally separated." In recent months Jones has appeared publicly without her wedding ring and has referenced the end of a long relationship during stage appearances.
Her appearance at the NTAs came after reports that she has put the Welsh family home she shared with Peet on the market for £1,150,000. Peet, 72, has reportedly relocated to Port Hardy, on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, and is in a relationship with Jayne Charity Cook, 46, who has posted images of the couple on social media. Peet is stepfather to three adult children from a previous relationship — Fiona, 35; Louise, 33; and Alex, 31 — and Jones is believed to have close ties with them and their children.
Gavin & Stacey returned to the public eye at the event as part of the show's continuing popularity since its revival. Jones was among the creative forces behind the series; she co‑created it with James Corden. The programme's success at the NTAs came on a night that also recognised other popular television fare, with winners across categories including Gary Lineker for TV presenter and This Morning for best daytime show.
Jones’s return to a major awards ceremony offered a mix of celebration and personal transition. While accepting the gong, she maintained the comedic persona that helped make Gavin & Stacey a staple of British television, even as reports about her private life and property followed her into the headlines.
The National Television Awards are decided by public vote, and Gavin & Stacey’s victory reflects sustained audience engagement with the series. Jones’s brief but pointed stage remarks and the glamour of her red‑carpet appearance underscored her continued profile in British entertainment as she navigates changes in her personal life.