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 BBCsketch shows and sitcoms, most notablyGavin & Stacey (asGavin Shipman),The Catherine Tate Show,Horne & Corden, andBad Education.^[1]

Horne was born on 6 September 1978^[2][3] inBurton Joyce,Nottinghamshire.^[4][5][6] He attended Burton Joyce Primary School. While at school he played in goal forNotts County juniors.^[7] He studiedA level performing arts atSouthwell Minster School in Nottinghamshire, and gained a degree in drama from theUniversity of Manchester.^[8] He metBruce 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]

Horne began his career as a comedian and became half of comedy duo Mat and MacKinnon,^[10] first performing at theEdinburgh Fringe in 2000.^[11] He was spotted at the festival byCatherine Tate, who invited him to perform in BBC TV programmeThe 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 inChannel 4's20 Things to do Before You're 30 and in the following year he earned the role of Ben,^[12] an atheistRE teacher, in Channel 4 seriesTeachers. He also appeared in the first series ofITV productionDoc Martin. In 2005, Horne appeared in an episode ofThe Smoking Room, playing Dominic, nephew of Janet. The latter was conducting a psychological study of the employees. In 2007 he starred in BBC sitcomRoman's Empire and in November appeared in comedy sketches inThe Kylie Show onITV1 alongsideKylie Minogue, playing her assistant.^{[citation needed]} Horne was also a guest star in the second series ofRobin Hood.^[13] From 2007 to 2024 he starred in double-BAFTA-winning seriesGavin & Stacey as main characterGavin 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 ofGavin & Stacey, to be broadcast on Christmas Day 2024, had been written.^[14] In 2008, Horne appeared in a modern adaptation of theThree Billy Goats Gruff as part of the BBC'sFairy Tales season.^[15] He also narrated theITV2 seriesThe Passions of Girls Aloud.^[16]

Horne starred in the filmLesbian Vampire Killers alongsideJames Corden^[17] and made his stage debut in a 2009 revival ofEntertaining Mr Sloane at theTrafalgar 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 the2009 BRIT Awards alongside James Corden and Kylie Minogue.

In 2010, Horne appeared in an episode ofMiss Marple, named "The Secret of Chimneys", as Bill Eversleigh. He appeared alongside fellowGavin & Stacey starRuth Jones.

He playedCulture Club drummerJon Moss in the 2010 BBC TV docudramaWorried About the Boy, about the teenage years ofBoy George.^[21]

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

He playedPrivate Walker inDad's Army: The Missing Episodes, in the 2019 UKTV Original produced series. He starred in all three episodes aired on the TV channelGold.

In early 2019, an announcement was made thatCatherine 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 tocinemas being closed because of theCOVID-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 2021, Horne began voicing Marvin, an anthropomorphic mole in an advertising campaign forVision Express.^[27]

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".^[28][29]

Since working on the BBC sitcomGavin & Stacey, Horne has collaborated a number of times with its co-creator James Corden.^[30]

Horne and Corden presented theBig Brother spin-off showBig Brother's Big Mouth^[31] as guests in 2007 and were then regulars for the run coveringE4'sBig Brother: Celebrity Hijack. They presented theNME Shockwaves Awards together in 2008^[32] and a section ofComic Relief in March 2009. In 2008, the pair toured the UK with a stand-up show in preparation for their BBCsketch showHorne & Corden.^[33] The first episode was broadcast on 10 March 2009 onBBC Three. It was presented in front of a live audience, in a style reminiscent ofMorecambe and Wise orThe Two Ronnies. A variety of pre-filmed sketches and live performances were included.

2009 also saw the release ofLesbian Vampire Killers, a comedy horror film. Reviews of the film were largely negative.^[34] It holds a 29% approval rating on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes with an average score of 4/10.^[35] James Christopher ofThe 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".^[36] Allan Hunter of theDaily Express called it "badly written and hastily executed" and "takes all the easy options of bad taste, bosoms and body fluids".^[37] Anthony Quinn, writing inThe 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'sHale and Pace.^[38]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian described the film as "mostly pretty awful, but there are one or two crass laughs".^[39]

Nicholas Yanes of Scifipulse.net found it to be "a greatB film" worth becoming a cult classic.^[40] 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 atGuantanamo Bay and that it was "a pile of shit".^[41]

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

Horne divides his time between homes inEast London andHelmsdale in the Scottish Highlands.^[4] He is a fan ofTottenham Hotspur F.C. and has often been seen atTottenham Hotspur Stadium.^[7] Horne is also the narrator of the stadium's multi media tour device.^[42]

On 20 December 2018, Horne was struck by a train as he was crossing the railway line, after leaving the Lord Nelson pub, 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 theNottingham to Newark railway line.^[43]

Horne was engaged to actressEvelyn Hoskins until 2018.^{[citation needed]} Horne married set-designer Celina Bassili in September 2021, in Norway. They had been romantically linked since July 2019.^[44]

• Mathew Horne atIMDb
• Voice-over artist
• 2005 interview in the Guardian