Larry Lamb's unexpected career announcement comes to light

Larry Lamb, the star of Gavin & Stacey, has hinted that his iconic role as Mick Shipman might be the final bow of his acting career.

While conversing with Daily Mail, the 77-year-old English actor and radio presenter revealed he is happy to end his acting career by playing Shipman one last time in the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special, which is being called The Finale.

Lamb said, “You get so involved with these characters that they become your favourite at that time, they are the focus of your life, but to finish up in my 70s playing a character like Mick who is beloved by millions of people, you have to give the writers credit... at this stage in my career Mick is the closest to my heart.”

He added, “I have had a very fortunate career; I've done so much that I am really proud of that maybe not so many people know.”

The Feud star shared, “I have worked at the Royal Shakespeare company, the National Theatre, I have been in 12 West End shows, I have done all the principal fringe theatres in London, on Broadway, I have been very lucky and now I am quite happy to let someone else play the big roles.”

Lamb went on to admit that becoming well known for playing Mick and Archie Mitchell in EastEnders is a reward for all his hard work over the years.

“For years, people didn't realise just how much time I spent working in the theatre, people assumed it was always on the TV, but it wasn't. My year would be half of it spent doing television and half of it would be doing plays in the theatre,” The Hatton Garden Job actor noted.

“If you have been through a life in entertainment and people don't all know you to suddenly where pretty much everybody knows you as a character...I find it's a reward, it's better to be known than unknown as far as I'm concerned. Particularly if you are known as a character that people really love... what a way to finish your working life,” Larry Lamb said.