Mathew Horne feels ‘protective’ of Gavin and Stacey co-star James Corden

Mathew Horne says he feels “protective” of his Gavin And Stacey co-star James Corden as he dismisses rumors they had a falling out in recent years.

The actors, who return as best friends in the hit BBC series as Gavin Shipman (Horne) and Neil “Smithy” Smith (Corden) for a Christmas special this year, were also part of sketch show Horne And Corden and the critically filmed horror flop Lesbian Vampire Killers in 2009.

Over the course of more than a decade, Corden enjoyed success as host of the American talk show The Late Late Show, which he left in 2023, and starred in several Hollywood films and presented the Tony Awards and the Grammys.

Horne, who starred in the BBC comedy series Bad Education alongside comedian Jack Whitehall and is currently on stage in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest alongside Sigourney Weaver, told The Times that he “wasn’t not true” that he and Corden had a falling out. .

He added that “no amount of protest would have convinced people that this didn’t happen” as Corden traveled to the United States.

Speaking about 2009, when Horne And Corden was poorly reviewed by critics, he said: “It was a hectic time and I really don’t want any more frenzy and chaos in my life.

“Honestly, I’m tired of talking about it for 15 years, it sapped my energy at the time and that’s not important.”

Horne also said people were “jealous” of Corden’s success and called The History Boys star and co-creator of Gavin And Stacey a “phenomenally gifted actor and writer, and a brilliant success story of the working class.”

He added: “I protect him. But I think I was silenced in discussing him because of this narrative that was imposed.

Horne also said that he and Corden had discussed creating a play.

He also said he found it “a bit offensive” that people said he was like Gavin, but added that he was more grateful to the character after the Covid pandemic.

“I was just overwhelmed with gratitude for being a part of this show,” Horne said.

“It’s a wonderful thing to have done with my life. Everything that I thought was maybe a little irritating was actually a really good thing.

Gavin And Stacey: The Finale airs on Christmas Day at 9pm following a one-off festive special in 2019 which ended on a cliffhanger when Vanessa “Nessa” Jenkins, played by Ruth Jones, proposed to Smithy.