Gavin and Stacey actor Oscar Hartland, who played Neil the baby in the iconic BBC sitcom, has failed most of his GCSE results but assured fans that he has it all under control
Gavin and Stacey’s Baby Neil star has an unexpected plan if all else fails.
Oscar Hartland, the 16-year-old actor who brought Baby Neil to life in Gavin and Stacey, didn’t pass his GCSEs but he’s got an alternative strategy up his sleeve.
Oscar picked up his GCSE grades this week, though he walked away with two successful outcomes reportedly achieving an A in music and scraped through in English, his two favoured disciplines, reports the Mirror.
He said: “I got a whopping two! But I’m happy with that, I wanted a top grade in music and that’s what I got. I’m the first to admit I’m not an academic and if I’m honest, I didn’t try that hard.”
Speaking to the Mail Online, he revealed his determination to succeed as a musician in a group “the hard way,” stating: “Is an executive at one of the top recording labels going to ask me about my GCSE results? I don’t think so.”
Oscar burst onto the scene straight from birth, featuring in four instalments of Gavin and Stacey as Neil the Baby who was born from a brief encounter between Smithy and Nessa. He made his comeback to Britain’s beloved sitcom as 10 year old Neil the Baby in the 2019 Christmas special before returning as a teenager in 2024.
The talented youngster took centre stage in the final episode last Christmas, performing the Beatles’ classic Blackbird on guitar to an enormous audience of 19.1 million viewers. However, Oscar doesn’t blame his disappointing GCSE performance at St Martin’s Comprehensive in Caerphilly, South Wales, on the demands of his television work.
Instead he admits he simply “hated school” and confesses his mind “was always in other places” throughout his education. The budding musician reckons the educational system fails pupils who aren’t naturally suited to academic study.
The finale episode of Gavin and Stacey became the UK’s most-watched Christmas Day television programme in 23 years, according to figures released earlier this year. Official viewing statistics for the sitcom’s 90-minute send-off, which formed the highlight of BBC One’s 2024 Christmas lineup, reached 19.1 million.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk