Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne has said he will make an exception and watch himself in the sitcom’s festive special on Christmas Day.
The actor, who reprises his role as hapless romantic Gavin for the one-off episode, added he would love to make more episodes of the hit show after the “delightful” experience of the reunion.
It was announced in May that the hit show, penned by James Corden and Ruth Jones, would return to the BBC for a special instalment.
Ruth Jones and I have been keeping this secret for a while… We’re excited to share it with you. See you on Christmas Day @BBCOne #GavinandStacey pic.twitter.com/gTRa3cp90t
— James Corden (@JKCorden) May 28, 2019
It will see Joanna Page return as Stacey, while Corden and Jones will reprise their roles as Smithy and Nessa, alongside the other supporting cast members – Rob Brydon, Larry Lamb, Melanie Walters and Alison Steadman.
He told the PA news agency: “I think I will watch on Christmas Day. As time has gone on in my career I less and less watch of myself because I can’t bear looking at the passage of time, if I can be so existential, but I really wanted to see this and I’m really happy with it.
“So I think I will be watching it, there is not much else to do. I don’t know what the other channels are going to be showing but it would certainly seem silly to watch something else.
The comedy aired over three series, plus a Christmas special, from 2007 to 2010 on the BBC.
The 2010 New Year’s Day finale was watched by more than 10.2 million viewers.
Asked if there is the potential for more episodes after the Christmas special airs, Horne said: “I don’t know, you would have to ask the people who write it. It would be lovely, yeah.
“Considering the experience I had back in August, filming it, I would love to get together again with everybody because, it sounds really trite, but it was just like putting on a pair of slippers and sitting with your family.
“It was just delightful, so of course I would love to do more, but it’s not really up to me.”
Horne, who was speaking ahead of his Thread Talks performance at Samsung KX, an “experience space” in King’s Cross, London, which will host tech tutorials, health and wellbeing sessions, said it was “nerve-wracking” and “emotional” to reunite with the whole cast for the first read through, adding: “We understood and appreciated the expectation that this announcement had brought about and the expectation that the show has, or this particular episode.
“I am very very proud of it, I would go as far as to say I think it’s the best episode of the show we have ever done.”
However, he warned that filming in the height of summer did have an unwelcome side effect.
He said: “I hope that people’s TVs aren’t too big because you can see a lot of sweat on me.
“I am one of those people that when I’m being interviewed I’m prepared to admit that I do sweat and you can see it on a big screen that I am so hot.
“You have got all these Christmas lights up and Christmas jumpers and Santa hats and eating a great big turkey roast, there are worse jobs but it wasn’t easy.”
Horne’s Thread Talk will take place in Coal Drops Yard on November 25, tickets are free.
The Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special will air on BBC One on Christmas Day.