Horne & Corden

March 2009

THE BBC hit comedy series Gavin and Stacey may have made a star of Mathew Horne but he said he was more excited about his new sketch show.
The Burton Joyce comedy actor will next be seen on our TV screens in Horne & Corden.
Written with his Gavin and Stacey co-star James Corden, the 30-year-old said it was a career high.
"It was a dream for me. My own show with my name in the title. I'm doing stuff that I've written. It's what I always wanted to do. It was a real thrill."
And if it's a success there could well be a UK tour for the pair.
"We're currently in talks to do a tour some time in the next two years. It's something we'll have to get down to writing in the next six to eight months. Nothing is confirmed as yet but it's definitely on the cards -- subject to the success of the sketch show."
Horne & Corden, which kicks off on BBC Three on Tuesday (MARCH9), will feature a cameo appearance by Kylie Minogue but he remained secretive about exactly what the pop princess does.
"She appears in episode five or six," he said.
"It's a culmination of a series of sketches and we don't want to give it away."
When pushed to give a clue he said: "God, no."
The Fast Show star Paul Whitehouse also appears.
"The Fast Show was one of the major influences that James and I had when we were embarking on writing the show. The Fast Show, The Mary Whitehouse Experience and Smith & Jones were our three major reference points."
He added: "Paul has become a friend of mine through Tottenham Hotspur."
Spurs are Mat's team. Even though he played in goal for Notts County juniors as a lad.
"I liked the kit at the time," he admitted.
"My dad offered to buy me a football kit and that's the one I chose. That's a shoddy reason to support a football team but that has stuck with me for 23 years."
Horne & Corden is directed by British comedy favourite Kathy Burke, star of Gimme Gimme Gimme and a number of Harry Enfield shows.
Said Mat: "Kathy and I have been friends for a couple of years and it was amazing that she agreed to direct the series for us. Obviously she has a huge amount of experience in character comedy so she was a really important presence."
Trailers for the series show Mat and his co-star in their underpants and at one point recreating the pottery wheel scene from the movie Ghost.
"In the early episodes there is a lot of exposed flesh. We do get more clothed as the series goes on."
He insisted that none of it will shock his mum as she watches back in Burton Joyce.
"Not really. It's a bit edgier than Gavin and Stacey but there's nothing that I wouldn't want my mum to see. I wouldn't want to write anything that would upset anybody. I hope none of it does."
He added: "There were two Nottingham characters in the show but they've been cut because they didn't really work. Which is a real shame because James' Nottingham accent is really good."
Better than his, he admitted.
"It's very neutral really. I do say 'pass' and 'grass' and 'bath'. I get to do a Leicester accent in my play, so I am getting to exorcise some of my roots."
The play is Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane at London's Trafalgar Studios in which he appears opposite Harry Potter actress Imelda Staunton.
"The reviews have been great and I'm really enjoying it," said Mat, who also DJs at London clubs.
After the theatre run finishes in April he plans a holiday. Then filming for the third series of Gavin and Stacey will begin.
Later this month Mat will also be seen in Lesbian Vampire Killers, his movie debut alongside James Corden.
He said he wasn't worried about Horne & Corden not going out on one of the major channels.
"It would be very foolish of us to want to go out on BBC1. We were offered BBC2 but we felt that BBC3 was a good place to start things, because of the experiences we've had."
He is referring to Gavin and Stacey which also started on the BBC Three before graduating as its popularity grew to a prime slot on BBC1.
"It's directly after the highest rated show on BBC3 which is the Eastenders repeat. Then we've also got a Sunday night 9.30pm slot as well."
He added: "We're very hopeful we will get a second series."

Horne & Corden, BBC Three, Tuesday March 10, 10.30pm