Mathew has rubbished rumours of a feud with James (Image: BABY COW)
Mathew Horne is lighting up our screens again this festive season with a return to the beloved Gavin and Stacey.
He jumped straight back into his renowned role of Gavin Shipman, married to Joanna Page’s Stacey Shipman in ‘s hit sitcom, which is gearing up for a Christmas cracker of a finale – the last-ever episode.
Yet, mere days before fans reunite with their favourite characters, Mathew experienced a dramatic moment backstage. He was partaking in The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane when he hit his head on a rock and was rushed off stage. After a tense quarter of an hour, he courageously returned to the stage.
When not stealing the show, Mathew leads a quiet life far from the spotlight in an idyllic Scottish village. The actor reportedly calls the quaint village of Helmsdale, nestled on Sutherland’s east coast, his home.
Don’t miss…
Mathew has a very different life than his character Gavin (Image: PA)
Sharing his adoration for Scotland, he expressed: “I would very much like to live there. I am all things Scotophile.”
His fondness for the Highlands runs deep as he elaborates: “It’s the best country in the world. My shoulders drop and I feel free. It is where my heart lies and hopefully one day I will have a place of my own there so I can retreat as and when I need to. I love the peace and tranquillity and the people. The food is wonderful, the weather is nowhere near as bad as everybody says and midges don’t like me, so that’s good. Most of my downtime when I’m not working is now spent in Scotland.”
In other news, Mathew has recently broken silence to deny any speculated squabbles with fellow actor James Corden.
Gavin & Stacey is back for a Christmas special! (Image: BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson)
He remarked: “I couldn’t really do anything about it. Because James then went off to the States, that was the narrative and however much I said that we didn’t fall out, no amount of protesting would have convinced people that it didn’t happen. I really don’t want any more hectic-ness and chaos in my life.
“I just want to be grateful and enjoy the things that I’m so fortunate to have, which is a really interesting, fun career and a beautiful family. Honestly, I’m sick of talking about 15 years of this. It sapped my energy at the time and it’s not important … I think I’ve been silenced in discussing him because of this narrative that’s been imposed.”
Earlier this year, Mathew quietly became a father after welcoming a baby with his wife, set designer Celina Bassili, who he married the previous year. While he has decided to keep information about his child under wraps, it’s understood his Gavin and Stacey co-stars were informed about the new arrival.
*Gavin and Stacey’s Christmas special airs on One and iPlayer on Christmas Day.