Mathew Frazer Horne (born 6 September 1978) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey (as Gavin Shipman), The Catherine Tate Show, Horne & Corden, and Bad Education.[1]

Mathew Horne
Born
Mathew Frazer Horne

(1978-09-06) 6 September 1978 (age 46)
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian, television presenter, narrator
Years active2000–present
Spouse
Celina Bassili
(m. 2021)

Early life

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Horne was born on 6 September 1978[2][3] in Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire.[4][5][6] He attended Burton Joyce Primary School. While at school he played in goal for Notts County juniors.[7] He studied A level performing arts at Southwell Minster School in Nottinghamshire, and gained a degree in drama from the University of Manchester.[8] He met Bruce Mackinnon there in the first few weeks of term; they realised they shared a similar sense of humour, but did not write material together until the third year of their studies.[9]

Career

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Horne began his career as a comedian and became half of comedy duo Mat and MacKinnon,[10] first performing at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2000.[11] He was spotted at the festival by Catherine Tate, who invited him to perform in BBC TV programme The Catherine Tate Show. Since then Horne has continued to appear in several Catherine Tate's Nan specials. He reprised his role as Jamie in two festive episodes of Catherine Tate's Nan in 2015.

In 2003, he starred in Channel 4's 20 Things to do Before You're 30 and in the following year he earned the role of Ben,[12] an atheist RE teacher, in Channel 4 series Teachers. He also appeared in the first series of ITV production Doc Martin. In 2005, Horne appeared in an episode of The Smoking Room, playing Dominic, nephew of Janet. The latter was conducting a psychological study of the employees. In 2007 he starred in BBC sitcom Roman's Empire and in November appeared in comedy sketches in The Kylie Show on ITV1 alongside Kylie Minogue, playing her assistant.[citation needed] Horne was also a guest star in the second series of Robin Hood.[13] From 2007 to 2010 he starred in double-BAFTA-winning series Gavin & Stacey as main character Gavin Shipman, a kind-hearted young man who gets together with a girl he has met through their work phone calls and falls in love with her. The programme ran for three series with a Christmas special and received widespread critical acclaim. He returned to this role for a Christmas specials in 2019. In May 2024 it was announced that a final episode of Gavin & Stacey, to be broadcast on Christmas Day 2024, had been written.[14] In 2008, Horne appeared in a modern adaptation of the Three Billy Goats Gruff as part of the BBC's Fairy Tales season.[15] He also narrated the ITV2 series The Passions of Girls Aloud.[16]

Horne starred in the film Lesbian Vampire Killers alongside James Corden[17] and made his stage debut in a 2009 revival of Entertaining Mr Sloane at the Trafalgar Studios.[18] On 3 April 2009, it was reported that Horne had collapsed on-stage during a West End performance of the play.[19] He remained on stage until medical assistance arrived, at which point he was taken to hospital. A statement released soon after said he was exhausted after working "flat out" for three months. It was later revealed he was suffering from a virus.[20]

On 18 February 2009, he presented the 2009 BRIT Awards alongside James Corden and Kylie Minogue.

In 2010, Horne appeared in an episode of Miss Marple, named "The Secret of Chimneys", as Bill Eversleigh. He appeared alongside fellow Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones.

He played Culture Club drummer Jon Moss in the 2010 BBC TV docudrama Worried About the Boy, about the teenage years of Boy George.[21]

In 2016, Horne toured British theatres with Catherine Tate in The Catherine Tate Show Live.[22] He also appeared as a young Mr. Grace in Are You Being Served?.

He played Private Walker in Dad's Army: The Missing Episodes, in the 2019 UKTV Original produced series. He starred in all three episodes aired on the TV channel Gold.

In early 2019, an announcement was made that Catherine Tate's Nan would be developed into a feature film adaptation. The film was scheduled to be released on 19 June 2020[23] but was indefinitely postponed due to cinemas being closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[24] The trailer and poster for the film were released on 18 February 2022 with Josie Rourke receiving an executive producer credit and no director credited. The film was released on 18 March 2022.[25][26]

In May 2022, Horne appeared as Edgar is series 8 episode 4 of BBC dark comedy series, Inside No. 9, in the episode titled "Love Is A Stranger".[27][28]

Work with James Corden

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Since working on the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey, Horne has collaborated a number of times with its co-creator James Corden.[29]

Horne and Corden presented the Big Brother spin-off show Big Brother's Big Mouth[30] as guests in 2007 and were then regulars for the run covering E4's Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack. They presented the NME Shockwaves Awards together in 2008[31] and a section of Comic Relief in March 2009. In 2008, the pair toured the UK with a stand-up show in preparation for their BBC sketch show Horne & Corden.[32] The first episode was broadcast on 10 March 2009 on BBC Three. It was presented in front of a live audience, in a style reminiscent of Morecambe and Wise or The Two Ronnies. A variety of pre-filmed sketches and live performances were included.

2009 also saw the release of Lesbian Vampire Killers, a comedy horror film. Reviews of the film were largely negative.[33] It holds a 29% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 4/10.[34] James Christopher of The Times described it as "profoundly awful", stating that it is an "instantly forgettable lads' mag farce" and an "appalling waste of a perfectly decent title".[35] Allan Hunter of the Daily Express called it "badly written and hastily executed" and "takes all the easy options of bad taste, bosoms and body fluids".[36] Anthony Quinn, writing in The Independent, gave the film 1 star out of 5, describing it as woeful and stating Horne and Corden had "overstretched their appeal" and looked in danger of becoming today's Hale and Pace.[37] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the film as "mostly pretty awful, but there are one or two crass laughs".[38]

Nicholas Yanes of Scifipulse.net found it to be "a great B film" worth becoming a cult classic.[39] In September 2010, whilst on the comedy panel show, The King is Dead, Corden commented that watching the film would be too harsh a punishment for prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay and that it was "a pile of shit".[40]

Horne appeared alongside Corden in the CGI film Planet 51, with a minor part voicing a soldier, Vesklin.

Personal life

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Horne splits his time between East London and Helmsdale in the Scottish Highlands.[4] He is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and has often been seen at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.[7] Horne is also the narrator of the stadium's multi media tour device. [41]

On 20 December 2018, Horne was struck by a train as he was crossing the railway line near to his parents' home in Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire. Horne was said not to have been injured and had been near a dedicated pedestrian crossing across the Nottingham to Newark railway line.[42]

Horne was engaged to actress Evelyn Hoskins until 2018.[citation needed] Horne married set-designer Celina Bassili in September 2021, in Norway. They had been romantically linked since July 2019.[43]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2004 Vanity Fair Casino Boy
2005 A.W. Teen Short film
2006 Stingray Kurt Short film
2008 Trimming the Fat Sutcliffe Short film
2009 Planet 51 Soldier Vesklin voice
Lesbian Vampire Killers Jimmy
2011 Horrid Henry: The Movie Henry & Peter’s Dad
2014 Breaking the Bank Nick
2015 The Bad Education Movie Shaquille Fraser
2020 The Existential Hotline Soren Short film
2022 The Nan Movie Jamie
Everybody Dies... Sometimes Therapist Short film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 Noble and Silver: Get Off Me! Housemate
2002 Being April Whiffy Episode: "Normal"
2003 20 Things to Do Before You're 30 Conrad 8 episodes
2004 Teachers Ben Birkett 9 episodes
Doc Martin Ed Johnson Episode: "Shit Happens"
2004–2007 The Catherine Tate Show Various Characters 20 episodes
2005 Carrie & Barry Adrian
The Smoking Room Dominic Episode: "Buzzzzzzz"
Our Hidden Lives Davy TV film
Nathan Barley Shop Assistant 2 episodes
Blessed Matt Episode: "Let's Spend the Night Together"
2006 Losing It Mike TV film
2007 Roman's Empire Leo 6 episodes
The Kylie Show Paul
Robin Hood The Fool Episode: "Lardner's Ring"
Big Brother's Big Mouth Guest Presenter
2007–2010, 2019, 2024 Gavin & Stacey Gavin Shipman 21 episodes
2008 Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack Presenter
The Passions of Girls Aloud Narrator
Fairy Tales Dean Gruff Episode: "Billy Goat"
2009 Horne & Corden Various Characters 6 episodes; also writer
Nan's Christmas Carol Jamie Taylor TV special
2009–2012 Phineas and Ferb Blay'n 2 episodes
2010 Worried About the Boy Jon Moss TV film
Agatha Christie's Marple Bill Eversleigh Episode: "The Secret of Chimneys"
Chekhov Comedy Shorts Lomov Episode: "The Proposal"
2011 Sounds from the Cities Himself
2012 Sinbad Philippe Episode: "Fiend or Friend?"
2012–2014,

2022–2024

Bad Education Shaquille Fraser 33 episodes
2013 Death in Paradise Leo Downs Episode: "A Stormy Occurrence"
Playhouse Presents Johnny Episode: "Hey Diddly Dee"
2014–2015 Catherine Tate's Nan Jamie Taylor 3 episodes
2014–2022 Agatha Raisin Roy Silver 17 episodes
2015–2017 Drunk History Various Characters 6 episodes
2016 Are You Being Served? Young Mr Grace TV film
Dating in the Dark Narrator 6 episodes
2017 Porters Mark Episode: "Episode One"
2018 Settling Seamus Web series; 6 episodes
2019 Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes Private Walker 3 episodes
2022 Newark, Newark Terry 3 episodes
2023 Inside No. 9 Edgar Series 8 episode 4

Stage

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Year Title Role Venue
2001 Blue Remembered Hills Raymond Courtyard Theatre
2001–2002 Mat and MacKinnon Various Characters Edinburgh Festival / Soho Theatre / Comedy Store
2002 A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Bri West End
2009 Entertaining Mr Sloane Sloane Trafalgar Theatre
2012 Charley's Aunt Lord Fancourt Babberley Menier Chocolate Factory
2013–2014 The Pride The Doctor / The Man / Peter Trafalgar Theatre
2016 The Catherine Tate Show Live Various Characters Various venues across the UK
2017 The Miser Valère Garrick Theatre
2018 Rain Man Raymond Windsor Theatre Royal
2022 The Homecoming Lenny Theatre Royal Bath
2023 Noises Off Garry Lejeune Theatre Royal Haymarket

Radio

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Year Title Role Production Notes
2010 A Cinema Near You Alex BBC Radio 2 1 episode
2013–2015 Seekers Stuart BBC Radio 4 12 episodes
2016 Blood, Sex and Money Lazare Chanteau BBC Radio 4 1 episode

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2007 British Comedy Awards Best Male Comedy Newcomer Gavin & Stacey Nominated [44]
2017 National Film Awards Best Actor Breaking the Bank Nominated [45]
2020 Aphrodite Film Awards Best Actor The Existential Hotline Nominated [45]
2021 National Film Awards Best Actor in a TV Series Gavin & Stacey (Christmas special) Won [46]
2022 Best Supporting Actor The Nan Movie Won [47]

References

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  1. ^ "Mathew Horne Gavin & Stacey". Thisisnottingham.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  2. ^ "Mathew Horne". Flixster.com. 6 September 1978. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  3. ^ "Mathew Horne is 'Gavin & Stacey' Actor". Right Celebrity. 30 December 2008. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  4. ^ a b "My Secret Life: Matthew Horne, Actor & comedian, 31". The Independent. London. 19 June 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022.
  5. ^ Machell, Ben (26 November 2010). "Mat Horne on loving success and hating celebrity". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  6. ^ Paton, Maureen (12 October 2012). "Mathew Horne: My family values". The Guardian.
  7. ^ a b Lamont, Tom (March 2009). "My sporting life: Matthew Horne". The Guardian.
  8. ^ Anglesey, Natalie (12 January 2014). "Mathew Horne brings his Pride and joy to Manchester". Manchester Evening News.
  9. ^ "Mathew Horne, comedian : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Mat and MacKinnon". comedycv.co.uk. 2003. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  11. ^ "Mat and Mackinnon's description : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  12. ^ "Teachers". Channel 4. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  13. ^ "Mathew Horne guest-stars". RadioTimes. 1 December 2008. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  14. ^ "Gavin and Stacey to return for last-ever episode on Christmas Day, BBC confirms | Gavin & Stacey | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  15. ^ Deacon, Michael (5 January 2008). "Once upon a time...". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  16. ^ EPisodeWorld. "The Passions of...Girls Aloud (2008) Episode Guide". EPisodeWorld. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  17. ^ "Mathew Horne (Worried About The Boy, Lesbian Vampire Killers, Gavin & Stacey – Series 3 and Horne And Corden – Series 1) – news, photos, filmography, rent DVDs from". Lovefilm. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  18. ^ "Entertaining Mr Sloane – Trafalgar Studios 2009". londontheatre.co.uk. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  19. ^ "Mathew Horne collapses on stage". Newsbeat. 3 April 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  20. ^ "Mathew Horne back in play after suffering onstage collapse". Telegraph.co.uk. London. 7 April 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  21. ^ In summer 2011, Mathew Horne will play the role of Henry's father in Horrid Henry: The Movie. "Two Programmes – Worried About the Boy". BBC. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  22. ^ "Catherine Tate review – droll superstar not bovvered by comeback pressure". the Guardian. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  23. ^ Mustafa, Filiz (15 October 2019). "Catherine Tate's Nan movie finally lands an official release date". Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  24. ^ "Yes, we are bovvered: why Catherine Tate needs to return to TV". The Telegraph. 23 April 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  25. ^ The Nan Movie - Official Trailer - Warner Bros. UK & Ireland. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  26. ^ Edwards, Chris (10 September 2019). "Here's your first look as Catherine Tate's Nan movie". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  27. ^ Cormack, Morgan (27 April 2023). "Inside No. 9 season 8 cast: Meet the guest stars in new episodes". Radio Times. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  28. ^ "Reece Shearsmith on the new series of Inside No 9". Great British Life. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  29. ^ Deacon, Michael (6 March 2009). "James Corden and Mathew Horne: Interview". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021.
  30. ^ ShinyMedia (12 August 2008). "Big Brother's Big Mouth: Corden and Horne". TV Scoop. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  31. ^ "Recap from Shockwave NME Awards | James Corden Fan Site". Jamescordenfansite.wordpress.com. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  32. ^ "Horne & Corden – BBC3 Sketch Show – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.org.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  33. ^ "Critics maul lesbian vampire film". BBC. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  34. ^ "Lesbian Vampire Killers Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  35. ^ Christopher, James (19 March 2009). "Lesbian Vampire Killers review". The Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  36. ^ Hunter, Allan (20 March 2009). "Lesbian Vampire Killers". Daily Express. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  37. ^ Quinn, Anthony (20 March 2009). "Lesbian Vampire Killers (15)". The Independent. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  38. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (20 March 2009). "Lesbian Vampire Killers". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  39. ^ "In Review: Lesbian Vampire Killers". Scifipulse.net. 21 April 2011. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  40. ^ "BBC Three – The King is Dead, The President of the USA". Bbc.co.uk. 6 September 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  41. ^ "Spurs open new interactive multimedia tour of its world-class multi-use Stadium". 3 September 2020.
  42. ^ Bunn, Matthew (30 December 2018). "Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne 'struck' by train in Nottinghamshire village". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  43. ^ West, Amy (15 September 2021). "Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne marries girlfriend Celina Bassili". Digital Spy.
  44. ^ "Gavin and Stacey leads Comedy Award nominations". British Comedy Guide. 7 November 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  45. ^ a b "Mathew Horne". IMDb. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  46. ^ Barbosa, Alessa. "Rowan Atkinson , Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Ricky Gervais, Kate Beckinsale, Matthew Horne, are among the big winners at the 6th annual National Film Awards UK". National Film Awards. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  47. ^ "Winners of the 8th annual National Film Awards 2022 announced". 5 July 2022.
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