Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
Sam Cook

Gavin & Stacey's Neil the Baby star is on The Voice Kids and is unrecognisable

Welsh viewers tuning in to the upcoming launch episode of The Voice Kids on Saturday, July 1 could do a double take when they spot a familiar face auditioning. In the crossover that you never thought would happen, a Gavin & Stacey star takes to the stage to perform.

Neil the Baby actor Oscar Hartland - who played the character as an actual baby, then returned for the 2019 Christmas special - performs on the show. Oscar, who is now 14 years old, looks a far cry from his role on the smash hit BBC comedy series during his audition.

Oscar is auditioning for coaches Will.i.am, Ronan Keating, Danny Jones and Pixie Lott and showcases his rock vocals by singing Foo Fighters’ Hero, which he has honed as frontman of his own band Redwood City. Do you remember Oscar in Gavin & Stacey? Let us know in the comments.

Read more: BBC EastEnders viewers left ‘bawling’ after funeral of popular character

Speaking to The Sun about his The Voice Kids audition, Oscar said: “It was weird being on the studio stage without the band, but I thought I’d just do what I do with the boys and hopefully get a result out of it. I went into it wanting Danny to turn, or Ronan. But it was really something.”

Neil... Who's no longer a baby! (ITV)

When asked about how Gavin & Stacey has impacted his life, he added: “I grew up just knowing I was Neil The Baby but it was after the special 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 show, even going into the supermarket was mad.”

Oscar is in a band (Oscar Hartland)

The young actor-musician even said that he occasionally uses his role on the iconic show in a bid to impress girls. “I’m on Snapchat or at a party and I go: ‘Ever watch Gavin and Stacey then?’ My success rate is good, it’s decent. Last Halloween a bunch of girls came around trick or treating, they were about my age. They opened the door and I just went like ‘Gavin and Stacey… Neil The Baby’ And then they just go nuts.”

Catch Oscar on the first episode of the new series of The Voice Kids on Saturday, July 1 at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.