Gavin and Stacey’s Mathew Horne sets the record straight on bitter ‘fall out’ with James Corden after reuniting for final BBC Christmas special

Mathew Horne has hit back at claims he had a bitter feud with co-star James Corden after the Gavin and Stacey creator rose to fame in America.

The couple, who played Gavin and his best friend Smithy in the hit BBC show, were once inseparable and were regularly spotted together.

Since Gavin and Stacey first aired in 2007, James, 46, had shot to fame in the US and fronted his own successful Late Late Show chat show.

However, Mathew has since dismissed claims that he ever fell out with James and hinted that he is frustrated that confronting the claims in the past has had the opposite effect to trying to cool the speculation.

Speak with The timesMathew said: ‘This idea that we would have a fight in 2009 was not true, but I couldn’t really do anything about it. Because James then left for the United States, that was the story, and no matter how many times I said there was no fight, no amount of protest would have convinced people that it hadn’t happened.”

He continues: ‘It was a hectic time and I really don’t want any more hectic and chaos in my life. I just want to be grateful and enjoy the things that make me so happy. That’s a very interesting, fun career and a beautiful family. To be honest, I’m tired of talking about this in fifteen years, it took my energy at the time and it’s not important.’

Defending James from trolls who are targeting him for his success, Mathew added: “The root of all the flak he gets – and it goes beyond flak – is jealousy. He is a phenomenally gifted actor and writer, and a brilliant success story for the working class. So yes, I protect him. But I think I have been silenced in the discussion about him because of this narrative that has been imposed.”

Gavin and Stacey return this Christmas for the very last episode ever and Mathew has said he was thrilled to reunite with James and the rest of their cast.

It comes after James insisted you ‘can’t fake these friendships’ he has made with co-stars Gavin and Stacey over the past two decades.

The actor and TV presenter, who created the show with girlfriend Ruth Jones, said there is ‘so much warmth and love’ between the stars after insiders spilled all about the ‘strained relationships’ on set.

While discussing why he believes the show remains so popular with fans after it was first released nearly two decades ago, James said the group is like family.

He said: ‘It’s hard for me to say why the show is popular and loved. I think the show is fundamentally about love and people liking each other.

‘It’s about family and friendship. There’s just so much warmth and love in them as a group. None of that is fake, that’s really all about our relationships as a cast.

“I think there’s something very pure about watching people get along and love each other without conflict. I hope people feel that on Christmas Day.”

James continued, sharing that he is “proud” of what he and Ruth created because it “changed his life.”

He said: ‘Gavin & Stacey is just a huge part of my life, it has changed my life in every way. What it means most to me is my friendship with Ruth.

‘To have an idea with a friend in a hotel in Leeds 20 years ago and then sit here today with what it has become… if you think about it too much you could actually end up crying all the time. I love her so much and I’m so proud of what we’ve done.”

James stars in the British sitcom alongside Ruth as Nessa, Mathew and Joanna Page as Gavin and Stacey, Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb as Gavin’s parents Pam and Mick, Melanie Walters plays Stacey’s mother Gwen and Rob Brydon plays Stacey’s uncle Bryn.

Filming for the series finale began on September 2 and since then the cast has been photographed in a range of locations, including the famous Barry Island in Wales, which is central to the iconic comedy.

One of the major plot points that has emerged appears to be Nessa’s wedding, which could provide an answer to the cliffhanger that ended the 2019 special.

Ruth and James were due to film scenes for a wedding in October.

However, the cast itself has yet to confirm whether Smithy and Nessa will indeed get their happy ending.

The cast recently confirmed they had finished filming scenes on the famous Trinity Street, which serves as the backdrop to the homes of both Stacey and Gavin, her mother Gwen and uncle Bryn.

“You haven’t seen anything because we’ve been inside, which shows that you are truly dedicated fans of the show and we hope you won’t be disappointed on Christmas Day when all will be revealed,” Ruth told fans.

“This is our farewell to Barry and to Trinity Street, so you won’t see us here again, but we’ve had a wonderful 17 years, it’s been fantastic.”

James added: “Thank you so much to everyone, we’ll see you soon.”

Ruth has since told The Big Issue: ‘I keep telling people that this finale might not be what you expect. And I guarantee we won’t be back again.’

James added: “What people are going to see on Christmas Day is the culmination of a 20-year love story, which hopefully at least shows that love is complicated and messy and applies to everyone.”

It will be the first episode of the BBC sitcom since the last Christmas special in 2019.

That episode, which was watched by 12 million viewers, ended on a cliffhanger with Nessa on one knee as she proposed.

The show revolves around the ups and downs of Gavin and Stacey’s initially long-distance relationship, which saw him live with his parents in Billericay, Essex, and her on Barry Island.

The pair eventually get married, while their respective best friends Smithy and Nessa have a son, Neil, who is now 15 and will also return for the final episode ever.

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale airs on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer and Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell airs on New Year’s Day at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.