Disappointment from Gavin and Stacey Star Over Final Episode Exclusion

Gavin and Stacey star Oscar Hartland has expressed his disappointment over not being included in the show’s upcoming final episode.

Hartland first appeared as “Neil the Baby” in the second series finale, which aired back in 2008.

Neil, the accidental son of Vanessa Jenkins (Ruth Jones) and Neil Smith (James Corden), popularly known as Smithy and Nessa, plays a crucial role in the series. His birth brings Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page) closer together amidst their marital issues.

Neil the Baby made several cameo appearances throughout the third series before his last appearance in the 2019 festive special. This special ended with a cliffhanger, as Nessa proposed to Smithy.

Corden recently surprised fans by announcing that the hit sitcom will return for one final episode. He shared a picture with series collaborator Ruth Jones, both holding a script titled: “Gavin and Stacey: The Finale.”

However, Hartland’s exclusion from the episode has led to speculation that he may have been replaced.

“I’m disappointed. I was hoping to get the call,” Hartland told The Sun. “Neil must feature in the final episode because they can’t write him out. Neil would be 15, the same age as me.”

Reflecting on his experience on the beloved show, Hartland, originally from Caerphilly, South Wales, spoke fondly of his time on set.

“I loved working on the show although I obviously can’t remember my first spell as baby Neil because I was so young,” he shared.

“But I had a great time working again when I was ten, especially as I had to have a month off school. All my scenes were with Ruth and she was brilliant with me, we got on really well.”

Since his stint on Gavin and Stacey, Hartland has pursued a career in music and appeared on The Voice Kids last year. Currently studying for his GCSEs, he has just released his first single, which he recorded in the same Monmouthshire studio where Queen recorded “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Fans have been eagerly waiting for nearly five years to find out Smithy’s response to Nessa’s proposal. The last episode ended before he could reply, leaving viewers in suspense.

The 2019 special was a ratings blockbuster for BBC One, drawing 18.49 million viewers. It was the most-watched non-sporting event in the UK in a decade and the most-viewed comedy in 17 years.

The final episode of Gavin and Stacey is set to air on Christmas Day 2024 on BBC One.

Source: The Sun