Inside Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne's life - from feud with James Corden to miracle escape after being hit by train

Mathew Horne is a household name thanks to his role as Gavin in the BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey alongside James Corden, but his life has been far from plain sailing

Since the debut of Gavin and Stacey in 2007, Mathew Horne's life has been transformed. The beloved comedy is rumoured to be returning with a new Christmas special this year, following the suspenseful conclusion of the last episode in 2019.

Despite co-writer Ruth Jones, who played Nessa, dismissing it as just 'rumour', whispers of a revival are growing louder. Meanwhile, Mathew Horne, famed for his role as the endearing Essex boy Gavin, has been offering personalised video messages to fans for £87 via Cameo.

Let's delve into the 45 year old actor's journey since he first captured our hearts on the show... Prior to landing the part of Gavin, Mathew graced our screens in The Catherine Tate Show, notably as Nan's cursing grandson Jamie. His bond with James Corden, who portrayed Smithy, was unbreakable, once admitting to spending 263 days together in a single year.

However, their alliance faced challenges when their sketch show Horne and Corden received harsh reviews, and their movie Lesbian Vampire Killers flopped. Their stint hosting the Brits also strained their friendship, with both actors later criticising the performance as "so poor" they couldn't bear to rewatch it.

Mathew Horne, who rose to fame on the hit BBC sitcom 'Gavin and Stacey', had a well-publicised split from co-star James Corden with reports of rifts following the show's success. After an acknowledged period of silence, Mathew once declined an invitation to appear on Corden's 'Life Stories' episode, reports the Mirror.

Despite this, in 2016, he brushed aside any suggestions of bad blood, maintaining, "Jealousy isn't something I do - I am not a jealous person. I am thrilled and about the success he is having."

Following Gavin and Stacey, Mathew continued his acting career with parts in 'Bad Education', 'Dad's Army: The Missing Episodes', and 'Agatha Raisin'. His life took a dramatic turn in 2018 when, after a night out at a pub, he was struck by a train but astonishingly suffered only minor injuries; a close friend labelled it a "miracle" that he survived.

In September 2021, he tied the knot with set designer Celina Bassili in Norway.

Now, fans can interact with Mathew via the personalised message service Cameo. On this platform, for £87, he creates custom videos, often playfully referencing his character from 'Gavin and Stacey'.

He also offers text messages at £4, though a response isn't always certain. In one video message to Gary and Adele, an engaged couple, he teased, "Gaz-a-lar, Adele-a-lar. Ten years together and you are getting married. What took you so long Gary? Come on man."

Reflecting humorously on his own nuptials, he added, "Hope you have an even better day than mine. You slags."

In a heartwarming video, Mathew Horne sends his best wishes to a fan on their wedding day, saying: "I just wanted to wish you a very happy wedding day. I hear you are a huge Gavin and Stacey fan so they got you this message from me."

Fans were overjoyed with one commenting: "Mathew is amazing. Best gift ever," and another expressing gratitude with: "You are a legend thank you. And still so so dreamy."