James Corden and Mathew Horne will return as Gavin and Smithy for the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special on December 25. Their iconic on-screen relationship was influenced by a close off-screen friendship which saw the pair also work together on Horne & Corden and Lesbian Vampire Killers in 2009
And while both had successful careers since the much-loved sitcom ended the first time round the rumours of tension between them bubbled up once again. Horne, who also has starred in Bad Education and Agatha Raisin while Corden relocated to the US and hosted The Late Late Show,, addressed those rumours in a sit-down with The Times on December 14.
Reflecting on their past project Horne and Corden, which received mixed reviews, Horne has revealed it was a hectic time in his life, and said he is “sick” of talking about it. He also defended Corden as a “phenomenally gifted actor” and praised his success. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter
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Horne told the Times this past weekend that their rumoured falling out “wasn’t true” and added that: “no amount of protesting would have convinced people that it didn’t happen.
Speaking about Horne and Corden which aired in 2009, he also said: “It was a hectic time and I really don’t want any more hecticness and chaos in my life. Honestly, I’m sick of talking about this for 15 years, it sapped my energy at the time and it’s not important.”
When reflecting on Corden’s success, he said: “I am protective of him. But I think I’ve been silenced in discussing him because of this narrative that’s been imposed.”
The Gavin & Stacey Christmas special is set to pick up where the show left off after the cliff-hanger of the 2019 special when Nessa proposed to Smithy. We had a few more clues as to what we can expect for their comeback over during the Strictly Come Dancing 2024 finale as the first full trailer aired, giving fans a glimpse of what was going the happen in the Christmas day episode.
Scenes from the new episode, which will air on December 25, saw Gavin and Stacey plan a weekend away with Smithy and the rest of the gang. Set to Abba’s Mamma Mia, the action shows a huge reunion in Billerricay and Uncle Bryn looking worse for wear. There’s also discussion about the infamous fishing trip.