Gavin and Stacey star Oscar Hartland’s life off-screen: from music career to other major TV appearance

It’s been a whole five years since Gavin and Stacey last graced our screens in the 2019 Christmas special – and Neil the baby is all grown up!

Oscar Hartland, now 17, has played the son of Smithy (James Corden) and Nessa (Ruth Jones) since he was a child, appearing in series three of the hit BBC comedy before later returning in the 2019 festive episode. But what has the actor been up to since we last saw him? Find out below…

Oscar’s singing career

While he made his name as an actor in one of the UK’s biggest sitcoms, Oscar has since turned his attention to music. The talented teen, who hails from Machen in South Wales, broke onto the music scene as one-fourth of the Welsh Alt-Indie Band, Redwood City.

After leaving the group in May, Oscar embarked on a solo career and released his first single, ‘Sunrise’ in June. The singer is set to release more music in 2025, telling his Instagram followers in a recent post: “So Happy to officially announce there will be more Tracks out in the new year! Can’t thank you guys and everyone back at home any more for the support you showed on my last releases. Putting my heart and soul on the line with these next one(‘s). Love x.”

While Oscar is perhaps best known for playing as Neil the baby, fans may also recognise him for his appearance on The Voice Kids UK. While auditioning for the show last summer, the singer reflected on being cast in Gavin and Stacey. “Being in Gavin and Stacey was crazy, working with huge names like James Corden, Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones – it was just like, wow!” he said.

“People know me for being Neil the Baby in Gavin and Stacey, which I absolutely love, but now I wanna be known for my music and singing.”

How did Oscar get the part of Neil?

It was by pure accident that Oscar landed the role of Neil.

His mum Kirsty revealed that she sent a picture of six-month-old Oscar to Baby Cow Productions, the company behind the hit sitcom, after a friend tipped her off about a production company “looking for a baby”.

“I did not think they would get back in touch. But a few days later they did and we were called in,” she told South Wales Argus in 2019.

“My son was offered the part. There were two other babies playing Neil, too,” she continued, adding: “When I look at it my son’s role came about by accident.”

When the 2019 Christmas special was announced, Oscar joined the many other children auditioning to play Neil.

“I didn’t really get my hopes up as there were other people who did acting,” he previously told Good Morning Britain. “I was in a couple of newspapers and they noticed me. I did my audition in Cardiff. A few weeks later I found out I got the job. It was really cool.”