BBC Gavin and Stacey star looks very different 16 years after on-screen debut

Gavin and Stacey actor totally unrecognisable from last time they appeared on screen as the cast of the hit BBC sitcom reunite ahead of its Christmas special

A Gavin and Stacey star looks unreognisable as they reunited with the whole cast.

Stars from the hit BBC sitcom came together for the Gavin & Stacey: The Finale screening in London. They headed out together in the capital ahead of the show's Christmas special airing next week. Fans have been waiting five years for the next installment of the beloved series, which will come to an end on Christmas Day.

Neil the baby actor joined in the celebrations on Wednesday evening and looked totally different 16 years after he first hit screens. Oscar Hartland has played the son of Nessa (Ruth Jones) and Smithy (James Corden) since he was a child. He turns 16-years-old this week and reunited with his on-screen parents at the screening.

Oscar's character was conceived following a one night stand between Nessa and Smithy amid their tumultuous relationship. Neil appeared on screens for the first time in the finale of season two in 2008. He last made an appearance along with the rest of the cast in the 2019 Christmas special.

Oscar was barely recognisable as he walked the red carpet in a white T-shirt, baggy jeans and a red star-patterned cardigan. Away from his role as Neil, the star has turned his attention to music. He is the guitarist and co-frontman of South Wales band Redwood City and last year he even competed on The Voice Kids as a solo artist.

The actor previously told the Sun: "I grew up knowing I was Neil The Baby, but it was after the Christmas special (when he was 10) that my life literally turned around. I went from a kid that was in a show when he was a baby to a kid in a TV – even going into the supermarket was mad."

The highly anticipated episode will air on Christmas Day from 9pm. The Christmas special will last for 1 hr 35 minutes and finish at 10.35pm. New storylines have been teased, with many fans hoping that they will find out what really happened on that infamous fishing trip with Uncle Bryn and Jason – which has previously been shrouded in secrecy.

Since the show began in 2007, fans have been sharing their theories on the mystery fishing trip involving Uncle Bryn and his nephew Jason but what happened has never been revealed. During the special episode, fans will also find out what happened after Nessa (Jones) proposed to Smithy (Corden) at the end of the last episode which aired five years ago.

Just days before the show airs, Gavin actor Matthew Horne suffered a head injury while on stage in front of a crowd. He is currently starring in a production of The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Disaster struck just ten minutes into his performance on Tuesday night and the show was halted. The actor hit his forehead on a rock on stage as part of the play where he rolled on the floor and was taken off stage for 15 minutes before wanting to continue with the show.

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