Mathew Horne is back on our screens this Christmas in Gavin & Stacey.
The actor plays the iconic role of Gavin Shipman, who is married to Joanna Page’s character Stacey Shipman, in the BBC sitcom, which is coming back for a Christmas special – the final ever episode.
However, just days before the show is set to air, Mathew found himself rushed off stage after suffering a head injury. He was taking part in a production of The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London when he hit his forehead on a rock on stage. They rushed him off stage and he was gone for 15 minutes before making his return.
Away from his acting career, Mathew has a very private life and lives in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands. He is believed to be living in the village of Helmsdale on the east coast of Sutherland. Speaking about his love for Scotland, he said: “I would very much like to live there. I am all things Scotophile.”
Of Scotland, he added: “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.”
Mathew recently spoke out to rubbish rumours of a feud with James Corden.
He said: “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.”
Defending his friend, he added: “The root of all of the flak that he takes – and it’s beyond flak – is jealousy. He is a phenomenally gifted actor and writer, and a brilliant working-class success story. So yeah, I am protective of him. But I think I’ve been silenced in discussing him because of this narrative that’s been imposed.”
Earlier this year, Mathew became a dad for the first time after secretly welcoming a bab with his wife, set designer Celina Bassili, who he married last year. He has however chosen to keep details of the tot private but it’s believed his Gavin & Stacey colleagues were kept up to date about the little one.
*Gavin and Stacey’s Christmas special airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day.