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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Katie Wilson

Gavin and Stacey star Neil The Baby, 14, all grown up as he auditions for The Voice Kids

Gavin and Stacey fans will remember Neil The Baby from the hit BBC sitcom.

The tot was the son of much-loved characters Nessa ( Ruth Jones ) and Smithy ( James Corden ).

Actor Oscar Hartland, who played the youngster, even returned to play Neil in the 2019 Christmas special.

But fans will see him looking more grown up than ever when the teenager – who is now 14 – auditions on The Voice Kids when it returns this weekend.

Although he got his first taste of fame in acting, Oscar seems to have his heart set on a music career.

He is now the frontman of band Redwood City, but will be auditioning solo as he tries to impress coaches Will.i.am, Danny Jones, Pixie Lott and Ronan Keating.

Oscar with on-screen mum Nessa as Neil The Baby (BBC)
As a 10-year-old in the 2019 Christmas special with on-screen dad Smithy (BBC)

With more than a swagger of Jagger about him, the youngster will be hoping to get four yeses.

Speaking about the audition, Oscar told The Sun : “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.”

Viewers will have to tune in on Saturday to see whether Oscar makes it through to the next round of the talent show.

How Neil The Baby star Oscar looks now as a 14-year-old (TikTok)
With one of his bandmates from Redwood City (TikTok)

Even if he doesn’t, he will be celebrating the release of his band Redwood City’s debut album this weekend.

Reflecting on his acting past, Oscar shared: “I grew up knowing I was Neil The Baby, but it was after the Christmas special (when he was 10) 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 – even going into the supermarket was mad.”

These days, the wannabe rock star says he uses it to his advantage to impress girls or his pals on Snapchat.

Cast on the show when he was a few months old, Oscar credits on-screen mum Ruth Jones with teaching him how to act.

When it came to the Christmas special – which is the last Gavin and Stacey episode as far as we know – it was Oscar’s idea to make his character "sweet rather than really dry like Nessa".

*Watch The Voice Kids at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX

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