December 26th 2024.
As fans eagerly awaited the finale of Gavin and Stacey on Christmas Day, they were in for a treat as one of the original babies who played Smithy and Nessa's child, Neil, made a heartwarming return. Oscar Hartland, who played the role in the original series, reprised his role in the highly-anticipated 2024 special. And his standout moment came towards the end of the episode during Smithy and Sonia's wedding when he played a stirring acoustic guitar rendition of The Beatles' "Blackbird."
Not only did fans delight in seeing the now 15-year-old actor all grown up, but they were also moved to tears by his beautiful performance and overall reappearance on the show. As user B.M. Badav wrote, "That part of Gavin & Stacey is such an emotional moment. Neil the baby's singing at the wedding really tugs at the heartstrings, especially paired with the montage of Nessa packing." Others couldn't help but gush about his talent and how lovely it was to see him again.
But it wasn't just the fans who were emotional. During the Q&A at the premiere, co-creator Ruth revealed that she was behind the camera during filming that day and couldn't hold back her tears when Oscar sang. "Just hearing his voice was so pure, and the guitar playing was just so gorgeous," she shared. "I couldn't, almost couldn't listen to it, it was too much. I'm just delighted, and then putting that with the pictures, I just think it tells a really gorgeous story."
For those who may not remember, Neil the Baby was born after a one-night stand between Smithy and Nessa in the 2000s while Nessa was in a relationship with Dave Coaches. In the 2019 Christmas special, he was portrayed as a 10-year-old, with Smithy and Nessa co-parenting while he dated Sonia. Interestingly, co-creator James recalled that it was during Oscar's audition for the special that he revealed he was one of the original babies. And when they saw him on The Voice Kids UK in 2023, they knew he could sing and decided to incorporate it into the finale.
Now 16 years old, Oscar returned to Gavin and Stacey once more, and his character is now pursuing an apprenticeship. And while he may not have any other acting credits, he is pursuing a music career. As James shared, during his appearance on The Voice Kids, Ruth even called him to wish him luck. And in a recent post, he teased that there would be more tracks coming out in the new year, alongside photos of him recording music in Rockfield Studios.
Sadly, this was the final episode of Gavin and Stacey, and the cast and crew have confirmed that there will be no more. But it certainly went out with a bang, leaving fans with many emotions and memories to hold onto. And as a side note, if you're wondering what Oscar is up to now, he's still pursuing his music career and has released two singles on Spotify, with more on the way. So keep an eye out for this talented young man!
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