Informed via special WhatsApp group

Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne has shared his sorrow over the death of someone who worked with the cast of the BBC sitcom.

According to reports, Gavin Shipman actor Mat struggled to hold back tears as he addressed the sad passing.

“It’s really, really sad,” an emotional Mat reflected as he admitted how the death impacted and “distracted” him.


Gavin & Stacey star Mat Horne was emotional after being informed about colleague passing away (Credit: BBC)

Mathew Horne shares sadness over Gavin & Stacey death

Mat, who appeared in all 22 episodes of the BBC comedy, was being interviewed on stage about his time on the hit TV series when he opened up about the loss.

He revealed the cast are still in contact in a special WhatsApp group which they had set up as he was moved by recollections of his late colleague.

Mat went on to explain to the audience at the ‘In Conversation With…’ show in Taunton, Somerset, how “a lovely guy” who worked on Gavin & Stacey had suddenly died.

Mat is quoted as saying: “Sorry. I got distracted. Earlier on… we had a driver on the finale called Rob. He was in his early forties. And I found out via the WhatsApp group earlier that he has passed away. I got slightly distracted there.

He was a really lovely guy.

“It’s really, really sad. I got distracted by losing Rob. He was a really lovely guy and he’s left a four year old behind and that is really, really, really sad.”


Mathew Horne as Gavin Shipman in the first episode which made its debut in May 2007 (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

On losing his mum and gaining a ‘surrogate mum’

Mat also recalled how the cast and crew became ”like a family” across the 17 years of the show’s run. Acting legend Alison Steadman, who played his character’s mother Pamela, was also likened to “a surrogate mum” by the actor.

He went on: “In 2019 before the Christmas special – part one of the finale if you like – aired, I lost my mother and Alison really stepped up and she became my surrogate mother off screen as well. Whenever she texts me even now she signs it ‘Mum’. And that is cool. That is so beautiful. And she says: ‘How are you, my little prince?’ It means the world to me.”


The last episode of Gavin & Stacey was on the box on Christmas Day 2024 (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Gavin & Stacey star’s ‘marriage split’

Meanwhile, in other recent Gavin & Stacey cast news, co-creator and Nessa star Ruth Jones confirmed in June that she had split from her husband of 26 years.

Ruth reportedly separated from David Peet 18 months ago – and she also revealed at the time how her ex was “in a new relationship”.

Back in 2018, she said during an interview how there had been an “overlap” between David’s previous marriage before he and Ruth were in relationship.

“The truth is, my husband was married when I met him. So in that sense there was an overlap. I had an affair, in that sense,” she said.