I’m absolutely loving Gavin and Stacey over on BBC Three at the moment. It’s perky, warm and gently subversive, and I like it very much indeed. One of the few sitcoms I do like actually. Watching it makes me realise what a gem Ruth Jones is. She co-wrote the thing with James Cordon, puts in a smashing performance as Nessa (“I won’t lie to you, but…”) and is one of the country’s unsung comedy heroes. It’s about time we lay down and give her her due.

If there’s one thing I love about Ruth Jones is that she’s all about quality. She has aligned herself with Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow production company, which is no bad thing. This alliance has borne some juicy fruit – she worked with Julia Davis in Nighty Nighty as the garish Linda, and starred alongside Coogan in the excellent Saxondale (as the long-suffering Magz).

These two low-key but terrific series showcased Ruth as a fine actress. She played scary in Nighty Night, but then played the benvolent and loving in Saxondale. In Gavin And Stacey, she plays a bit of both.

As Nessa she’s all front, all macho posturing, but has a soft and kind heart. The scene where she and Smithy bonded over a bucket of KFC a week ago was pure brilliance.

There’s also the issue of Ruth’s size. I don’t want to patronise her in the slightest, but she’s not your average size eight. No, Ruth has got some meat on her and I hope she’s not viewed differently because of it. The very fact that she bucks the trend when it comes to looks, even if she doesn’t realise it, is a good thing.

So Ruth Jones, I salute you. Everything you do is ace, so please keep it going. While I’m here, can we have another series of Saxondale please?