The Gavin And Stacey crew member whose death reduced Matthew Horne this week was driver Rob Picton, a father-of-four.
Earlier this week, lead actor Horne, who played Gavin Shipman in the iconic BBC sitcom, announced Rob’s death in tears to fans during an ‘In Conversation With…’ show.
He said: ‘Sorry. I got distracted. 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.
‘It’s really really sad. I got distracted by losing Rob. He was a really lovely guy and he’s left a four year old behind and that is really really really sad.’
Rob was a driver for the show, but was also locally known in South Wales as a DJ and producer, going under the name Joe Blow.
He was pictured on location for a shoot of the final ever Gavin and Stacey episode last year, with actor Rob Brydon visible in a video posted to social media.
The Gavin And Stacey crew member whose death reduced Matthew Horne this week was driver Rob Picton, a father-of-four
Rob had caught up with ‘Uncle’ Larry Lamb at the start of this year as the Gavin and Stacey cast are left shocked by his passing
Just weeks before his shock death, Rob shared to friends and family how he hadn’t been feeling well – and was sent home from work with chest pains
Proud of his involvement in the show, Rob had gushed on Facebook at the time: ‘Who’s that Handsome Guy driving Uncle Bryn and Gwen around then? Send in your answers on the back of a postcard.’
In January this year, Rob shared a snap of him with Larry Lamb, describing him as ‘Uncle Larry’ in a sweet post.
He penned on X: Always lovely to catch up with uncle for an xmas treat.’
Just weeks before his shock death, Rob shared to friends and family how he hadn’t been feeling well – and was sent home from work with chest pains.
He posted on July 17: ‘To everyone who has been trying to get hold of me, I will be back in touch, I’m not ignoring you. Got sent home from work a few days ago with chest pains and been wiped out ever since with Esophagitis.’
Thanking his brother and partner Shariffa for their support, he added: ‘It’s sucks not being able to swallow food or drink without being in excruciating pain, as anyone who knows me knows its my favourite thing to do.’
Rob was a well-respected DJ and club promoter in Wales, with his involvement in the local music industry spanning two-and-a-half decades.
He had previously shared his nightclub appearances and events from across Wales on his Instagram account to fans.
Earlier this week Matthew Horne, who played Gavin Shipman in the iconic BBC sitcom, announced Rob’s death in tears to fans during an ‘In Conversation With…’ show
Rob had worked as a driver for the final of Gavin and Stacey and proudly posted about his involvement in the show on Facebook
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Rob’s family following his passing, with over £3,000 raised so far
The dad-of-four had two daughters and two sons, with his youngest son only celebrating his fifth birthday in June
Rob also ran his very own car business, called Pictons Motors, though the company was dissolved in 2023 after five years in business, according to Companies House.
The dad-of-four had two daughters and two sons, with his youngest son only celebrating his fifth birthday in June.
Proudly marking his little boy’s big day, Rob had shared pictures of his birthday as he opened his presents.
Rob had previously served a year in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a man at a nightclub while working as a bouncer at the time.
He was jailed in 2020 after admitting to causing the then 21-year-old victim grievous bodily harm along with another colleague.
Previously speaking about his time in prison, Rob said he was locked up for 23 hours of the day.
Rob also ran his very own car business, called Pictons Motors, though the company was dissolved in 2023 after five years in business, according to Companies House
Before working on Gavin and Stacey, Rob was a well-respected DJ and club promoter in Wales, with his involvement in the local music industry spanning two-and-a-half decades
James Corden, who played Smithy in Gavin and Stacey, has led the donations to his GoFundMe, donating £1k towards the fundraiser
He told the ACE Podcast Nation: ‘It wasn’t great obviously, nobody wants to go to prison.
‘Cardiff prison is a smelly old place, you know, it f***ing stinks of p*ss like.’
He added: ‘You’re stuck in a cell so it’s just you, yourself and your thoughts for months on end.’
A GoFundMe page has been setup following Rob’s passing, with Gavin and Stacey star James Corden leading the donations with £1,000.
The actor, who played Smithy, did not leave a comment but signed his name to the generous donation towards Picton’s funeral costs.
Rob had previously served a year in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a man at a nightclub while working as a bouncer at the time
At the time publication the fundraiser had so far raised £3,295 – over halfway to the goal of £5.5k.
A friend of Rob, who created the page, shared a snap of him in a car, and said: We’ve now received a little more information about our dear friend Rob Picton.
‘While we still don’t fully know the reasons or circumstances around his sudden passing, what we do know is that Rob was proud — proud of his children, his work, and the life he lived.
‘Just a few weeks ago, I was sitting in the car with him, chatting about his birthday weekend and his kids. It’s still hard to believe he’s no longer with us.’
