Mathew Horne becomes tearful on stage after learning of Gavin and Stacey crew member's death
Mathew Horne became emotional on stage in Taunton as he revealed that a crew member who worked on the Gavin and Stacey finale had passed away.
Mathew Horne became emotional on stage as he revealed that a Gavin and Stacey crew member had died.
The 46-year-old actor, who played Gavin Shipman in the beloved BBC sitcom - which ended with a Christmas Day finale last year - struggled to hold back tears during an 'In Conversation With...' show in Taunton, Somerset, as he recalled discovering that a "lovely guy" who worked behind-the-scenes on the show had passed away.
Mathew said: "Sorry. I got distracted. Earlier on... we had a driver on the finale called Rob and he was in his early 40s... and I found out via the WhatsApp group earlier that he has passed away and I got slightly distracted there.
"It's really really sad. I got distracted by losing Rob.
"He was a really lovely guy and he's left a four-year-old behind and that is really really really sad."
Meanwhile, Horne told the audience how Alison Steadman - who played his character's mum Pamela Shipman in the comedy - had become a "surrogate mum" following the passing of his real-life mother.
He recalled: "In 2019 before the Christmas special - part one of the finale if you like - aired, I lost my mother and Alison really stepped up and she became my surrogate mother off screen as well.
"Whenever she texts me even now she signs it 'Mum'. And that is cool. That is so beautiful. And she says, 'How are you, my little prince?' It means the world to me."
Mathew previously explained how he tried to be as "authentic as possible" in his portrayal of Gavin as he recalled how strangers would approach him assuming that he was his character.
The Catherine Tate Show star recalled last year: "Joining the cast of Gavin and Stacey was a big turning point in my life. At first I found it really strange when people would approach me and confuse the character of Gavin with who I am in real life. But after a while, I realised I had done my job; the Essex characters in particular are meant to be quite naturalistic, and I had made Gavin as authentic as possible. Being on the show was, and still is, an absolute gift.
"When I got the job, I called James Corden to say thank you. I'd always been a fan of his, from watching him on the telly and on Broadway. We spoke for about an hour that day, and I knew straight away that there was the foundation of a good friendship and a lot of love."
