What is the 'Owain Hughes' Joke? And Before You Ask….

Gavin and Stacey is an easy-to-watch, lovable TV show that was set in and mostly filmed in Wales. It's full of puns, Welsh slang and the odd mystery! And one of these major mysteries is the Owain Hughes joke. 

There is no official word from the show's creators Ruth Jones and James Corden about what the joke even means. But there are lots of theories on the topic, including from the actor himself!

What is the Owain Hughes Joke? 

In the first episode of Season 3 of Gavin and Stacey, Gavin starts a new job in Cardiff. As this is his first day he goes on a quick tour around the office with his boss Huw. As he’s walking back to his desk a young man walks up and introduces himself as “Owain Hughes”, and then adds, “and before you ask, no I don’t.” 

Gavin is left completely baffled by this introduction, while Huw and Owain erupt into fits of laughter at this obvious in-joke.

Sadly for Gavin, the bewilderment doesn’t end there though. 

Uncle Bryn then turns up at the office window with a packed lunch for him. An uncomfortable Gavin proceeds to introduce Uncle Bryn to his new colleagues only for Uncle Bryn to ask Owain, “Owain Hughes, and do you?” To which Owain replies, “No, I don’t”. The trio burst out laughing as Gavin looks on totally confused. 

Later on, Gavin and joke-loving Smithy try to decipher the Owain Hughes joke, but the best buddies don’t understand what was so funny about the name Owain Hughes. Watch the classic clip here, and try to work out what the joke means! 

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t figure it out. A lot of us here in Wales still aren’t sure what the joke means, even Rob Brydon commented on Twitter that he didn’t know himself! 

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What is the Meaning of the Owain Hughes Joke?

There’s a lot of debate about what the Owain Hughes joke actually means!

The most likely theory about the meaning of the 'Owain Hughes' joke is that it has no meaning at all and is simply there to spark conversation, much like Uncle Bryn and Jason’s fishing trip incident - which we still don’t know anything about!

This theory seems to be backed by the actor Steven Meo who played Owain Hughes who claimed that it's 'a red herring designed to infuriate and spark debate'.

This might not be the fulfilling answer that you are looking for, so here are a couple of other theories:

Some suggest that the 'Owain Hughes’ joke is a Welsh in-joke that only people from Wales will understand. This is highlighted in the show by the Welsh characters laughing, and the English characters, such as Gavin, finding the joke a load of nonsense!

Another speculative theory is that the joke is a clever play on words. The name ‘Owain Hughes’, when spoken out loud sounds a little like ‘Owe Wayne Hughes’. So, when someone asks “And do you?” they’re actually asking if you ‘owe Wayne Hughes money’. 

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Who Plays Owain Hughes in Gavin and Stacey? 

Steven Meo plays Owain Hughes in Gavin and Stacey. He is one of Gavin’s work colleagues and he manages the company’s website.

Interestingly, Meo appeared in The Pembrokeshire Murders opposite Luke Evans. His role in this police drama wasn’t quite so comedic though! 

In the show, Meo is part of a team of detectives who are trying to find evidence to prosecute serial killer John Cooper for murders he committed in the 1980s. 

The two characters, ‘Owain Hughes' and ‘DI Lynne Harries,’ couldn't be more different!

His most recent role has seen him play the businessman, Rufus Donahue, in Coronation Street with fans saying he is unrecognisable from his Gavin and Stacey days.