Gavin and Stacey’s Neil The Baby is unrecognisable as he auditions for The Voice Kids
OSCAR Hartland made his name on telly as dribbling, one year old tot Neil The Baby on Gavin and Stacey.
But now he’s all grown up – and is unrecognisable as a fully-fledged rockstar.
The lad played the son of Ruth Jones’ Nessa and James Corden’s Smithy in the hit comedy as a newborn and then again in the 2019 Christmas special.
Now he’ll be back on TV again this Saturday when ITV’s The Voice Kids returns.
Oscar, now 14, auditions 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.
Speaking exclusively, 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.”
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Oscar was first cast as Neil The Baby when his mum Kirsty heard Gavin and Stacey’s producers were casting in local to Barry Island, Wales.
She told The Sun: “I sent a photo of him on a Friday morning and the Friday afternoon, they said would you be able to get down to Barry Island on Monday morning? And that was it.
“It was a set fee, no royalties or anything.
“And then he was back for the Christmas special when he was ten.”
Oscar said: “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.”
The teenager, who will have to study Gavin and Stacey as part of his GCSE Media Studies course, is now using the fame to his advantage.
He went on: “I do use it to impress girls, I’m on Snapchat or at a party and I go: ‘Ever watch Gavin and Stacey then?’
“My success rate it 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 go like ‘Gavin and Stacey… Neil The Baby’
“And then they just go nuts.”
Oscar filmed most of his scenes with Ruth and Melanie Walters (Gwen West) and credits them for helping him develop as an actor.
He added: “Ruth taught me how to act. I’d ask what I could do to make it better.
“I think the biggest thing she said was that because Neil is such an unknown, make him what you want him to be.
“So I thought Neil would either be just like Nessa, really dry, or be really sweet, so I did that.”
Now Oscar is looking forward to watching his turn on The Voice Kids, and the release of his band’s debut album – both this Saturday.
Tune in at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.