Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne reveals ex-girlfriend died of leukaemia

Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne has opened up about losing his ex-girlfriend to cancer.

The Gavin Shipman actor, 47, was reflecting on his experiences with love as he made the revelation, admitting it was a ‘difficult time’ for him.

Chatting to Gyles Brandreth on his Rosebud podcast, Mathew said of the romance: ‘We were friends; we were very close friends, and everybody thought that we should be together.

‘And eventually, we did!’

‘Well done! You’re lucky in love, mate,’ quipped Gyles, 77, before Mathew’s crushing confession.

‘Yeah, maybe. She sadly passed away.’

‘Oh no. While you knew her?’, asked the Celebrity Gogglebox star.

‘Yeah. She was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003, and then by January 2004, she was gone. Very, very sad,’ shared Mathew.

‘We weren’t strictly together at that time. We had gone our separate ways for about a year.

‘But, obviously, the connection was still there. It was a difficult time.’

Mathew did not name his late partner but referred to her as a ‘very, very dear friend’.

As per Cancer Research, there are around 4,800 leukaemia deaths in the UK every year, which equates to 13 each day from 2021 to 2023 and accounts for 3% of all cancer deaths.

Elsewhere on the podcast, Mathew spoke about his current relationship, having tied the knot with set designer Celina Bassili in September 2021.

The comedy actor was initially engaged to Casualty actress Evelyn Hoskins until late 2018, but no reason was given for their split.

Representatives for the Catherine Tate Show star simply confirmed to the Daily Mail at the time: ‘Mathew and Evelyn separated amicably in October 2018.

‘Therefore, his romance with Norwegian designer Celina came as somewhat of a surprise to fans, but they were first linked in July 2019, having been seen kissing while working together on the first Gavin and Stacey Christmas reunion special.

Speaking of the early days of his relationship with Celina, who has worked on Enola Holmes 2 and Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman, Mathew said: ‘It became very clear that she was the one.

‘I met her about a year before my mother passed away.’

‘Then I lost my mum, and Celina stood by my side throughout what was a really wretched time.’

From there, he says their connection only ‘grew and grew’, as did his love for her.

‘I just knew from that experience that I wanted to be with her forever.’

Mathew and Celina also worked together on the murder-mystery sitcom Agatha Raisin, in which he played Roy Silver.

For their wedding, they headed to Norway for a private celebration at the grounds of a sprawling 1930s mansion.

They exchanged vows in a whimsical woodland ceremony, the bride carrying a wild bouquet to complement the floral crown on her head.

Previously, Mathew dated songwriter Laura Marling and Amber Le Bon.

He was also forced to deny rumours that he had a fling with Kylie Minogue in 2009, having co-hosted during the Brit Awards with her.

However, he insisted it was merely a crush of his that never went anywhere, telling The Sun: ‘Of course nothing happened. Of course not. She’s Kylie!’

Mathew was last seen as lead character Gavin on Christmas Day last year, when the James Corden and Ruth Jones BBC series came to an emotional end.

The comedy began airing in 2007, running for three series and a Christmas special before fans were treated to two more festive episodes in 2019 and 2024.

Last Christmas, a staggering 12.3million people tuned in to find out whether Smithy and Nessa would finally get together, making it the most-watched Christmas Day programme in 16 years.