Who is Laura Aikman? After playing insufferable Sonia in Gavin & Stacey... a look at her life and...

It was the conclusion that fans of Gavin & Stacey had been anticipating.

After 17 years, nineteen episodes, and three festive specials, Smithy and Nessa tied the knot, captivating an incredible 12.5 million viewers in the process.

However, this all came at Sonia's expense, as she was the long-term fiancée who ended up being left at the altar when Smithy suddenly realized he was on the verge of making a huge mistake.

Although we may never find out what happened to her, there is plenty to say about Laura Aikman, the skilled actress who portrayed Sonia.

Fans of Gavin & Stacey already knew the 39-year-old actress, as she first appeared as Smithy's annoying girlfriend back in 2019.

However, her acting resume extends well beyond the hit sitcom, as Aikman has appeared in numerous well-known movies and television series.

Laura Aikman had a successful and extensive career in movies and television well before she landed the character of the irritating Sonia in Gavin & Stacey.

In the finale of Gavin & Stacey, Sonia was left at the altar when Smithy suddenly realized that he was about to make a huge mistake.

She arrived into the world on Christmas Eve in 1985, and from an early age, she was immersed in the world of film, television, and theater thanks to her actor parents, Stuart Aikman and Jean Heard.

While she was a student at a girls' school in Elstree, she landed her first acting role in the 1996 movie *Surviving Picasso*, sharing the screen with esteemed actors Sir Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore.

Four years later, in 2000, she made an appearance in an episode of the popular hospital drama Casualty, which opened the door for a number of guest roles in shows like The Bill, Doctors, and That Mitchell And Webb Look.

In 2009, she landed her first of two ongoing roles, playing Lucy in the popular BBC Three series Personal Affairs. More importantly, she also made a return to Casualty, this time portraying Nurse May Phelps.

In 2016, Aikman landed her third significant television role, playing Lorna Hutchinson in the tenth season of the BBC drama Waterloo Road.

Fans may also remember her from *Keith Lemon: The Film*, where she portrayed a character named Rosie. Additionally, she appeared in *Archie*, a recent television biopic that explores the life of the Hollywood icon Cary Grant, taking on the role of his wife, Dyan Cannon.

She has also made guest appearances in various TV shows like Death In Paradise, Pramface, Citizen Khan, and Bluestone 42, where she first met her husband, Matt Kennard, in 2015.

Kennard, who has made a name for himself as an actor, is widely recognized for his role in the TV series Doctors. He will soon appear alongside Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh in the upcoming movie, We Live in Time.

Aikam is well-known for her role as Nurse May Phelps in the popular BBC hospital series Casualty, which has been on air for many years.

Aikman appeared in 24 episodes of Casualty from 2009 to 2019 (shown in the image from the series).

Aikman is pictured alongside her husband Matt Kennard (on the left) and fellow Gavin & Stacey actor Russell Tovey (in the middle) in 2019, the same year they tied the knot.

Dyan Cannon portrays a key role in "Archie," a newly released television biopic that explores the life of Hollywood icon Cary Grant, who is depicted by Jason Isaacs.

Outside of her work in film, TV, and theater, Aikman, who married Kennard in 2019, has lent her voice to several video games. Notably, she is the voice of Lyse and Eloise in the Final Fantasy series.

The multi-talented actress has appeared in a variety of stage performances, including Shakespeare's Henry V, where she took on the role of Princess Catherine, as well as Bugsy Malone.

Aikman is a strong supporter of mental health awareness and spent 2022 volunteering with Shout 85258, a private text-based support service.

The final episode of Gavin and Stacey attracted an impressive 12.5 million viewers, making it the most popular show on Christmas Day.

Aikman first crossed paths with her husband Kennard in 2015 while working together on the television series Bluestone 42.

Fans of Gavin & Stacey already knew the 39-year-old actress, who first appeared as Smithy's annoying girlfriend back in 2019.

Aikman was present at the after-party for the world premiere of Keith Lemon The Movie, a film she features in, back in 2012.

Fans had been anticipating for five years to find out what happened to the cherished characters of the BBC sitcom and whether Smithy had agreed to Nessa's proposal.

Fans described the last episode as 'flawless,' expressing their emotions as the beloved series concluded after 17 years on the air. Many were moved to tears during this emotional farewell.

The BBC triumphed in the ratings race, attracting 10 million viewers for the comeback of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.

EastEnders achieved impressive viewership with 8.7 million people watching Cindy Beale's shocking scene where she was left for dead after being struck with a shovel in a gripping two-part episode. In contrast, only 2.8 million viewers were interested in watching Gail Platt's farewell episode on ITV's Coronation Street.