Mathew Horne, a former colleague of Gavin and Stacey’s Mathew Horne, recently announced the passing of a BBC show crew member. He has since been renamed Rob Picton, a musician.
Tributes have been paid to a former Gavin and Stacey crew member who died recently. Mathew Horne has been among those reflecting on the news, with him having choked up whilst discussing the loss an event this week.
At a Thursday performance on stage, Mathew, 46, who played Gavin Shipman, became emotional. The actor revealed that one of the actors who was responsible for the sitcom’s December finale had recently passed away. He simply called Rob when he spoke of his late coworker.
The crew member is understood to be Rob Picton, who’s been named elsewhere. Although having worked as a driver on the BBC show, he’s known as a DJ, producer and club promoter in Wales, and has been the subject of tributes.
Rob, also known as Joe Blow, passed away, but it’s not yet known. He told fans that he had been experiencing esophagitis, an inflammatory esophagus, and that he had previously been sent home from work due to chest pains, and that he had been posting about his health on social media last month.
He stated on July 17: “I will be back in touch with you, I’m not ignoring you. Has esophagitis caused chest pains after returning from work a few days ago, and has since been exaggerated.
Rob claimed that as a result, he would have to miss some events. As anyone who knows me knows, it’s sucks not being able to swallow food or drink without experiencing excruciating pain.
However, it appeared that Rob was back at work more than a week later. He thanked the fans for their support at a rave event he is said to have organized in Cardiff.
Mathew, the star of Gavin and Stacey, praised his late former coworker at a talk earlier this week in Taunton. On Thursday, the actor attended an In Conversation event at Taunton Brewhouse in Somerset.
As reported by the Sun, he apologised to the audience at one point, saying that he had been “distracted” after hearing about his colleague’s death. He said: “Earlier on … we had a driver on the finale called Rob and he was in his early 40s… and I found out via the WhatsApp group earlier that he has passed away and I got slightly distracted there.”
Mathew reiterated his dissatisfaction with the news and said he had become distracted by the loss. He continued, “He was a really lovely guy and he’s left a 4-year-old behind,” which is truly, really, really sad.
This week, Rob has received tributes, including those from BBC Introducing with Adam Walton. Adam Walton claimed to have had the “privilege” of playing Rob’s music on the BBC Radio show for more than 25 years, including in various roles.
He also paid tribute to those who knew Rob and offered his condolences. Adam once remarked, “Robert was a great and prolific emcee, and his loss is profoundly felt by his friends, collaborators, and obviously by his family and community.”
