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The child actor who played “Neil the Baby” in TV favourite Gavin and Stacey has his eyes firmly set on a career in the music industry.

While 16-year-old Oscar Hartland didn’t achieve the GCSE results he was hoping for, he is still optimistic about the future.

Oscar, from Machen, achieved grades at C or above in only two of his exams – but one of those was an A in Music.

Defiantly, he said: “Is an executive at one of the top recording labels going to ask me about my GCSE results? I don’t think so.

“I have always wanted to make it as a musician in a band, and I’m ready to do it the hard way. I’m a grafter and I’ll tough it out.”

However, he refuses to blame his television career for his results. He said: “It was just that I hated school and classroom learning is not my thing.

“‘During my school years, my head was in other places, music was always my thing and I got an A, so I’m happy with that.

‘”I feel strongly that pupils like me who are not academically minded are being failed by the education system.

“I got a whopping two! But I’m happy with that, I wanted a top grade in music, and that’s what I got.

“I’m the first to admit I’m not an academic, and if I’m honest, I didn’t try that hard.”

Oscar was a baby when he appeared in four episodes of Gavin and Stacey as Neil the Baby.

He reprised his role in the sitcom as a ten-year-old in the 2019 Christmas special.

And the talented schoolboy had a starring role in the final episode last Christmas when he sang the Beatles’ song Blackbird while on the guitar. It was watched by 19.1 million viewers.

Oscar, a gifted guitarist and pianist, appeared in The Voice Kids when he was 14 and reached the semi-finals.

He’s already recorded at Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth, where Oasis recorded Wonderwall and Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody.

Meanwhile, Oscar and his band are on the road this weekend, playing at the Camper Calling Family Music Festival at Stratford on Avon.

And he is being reunited with the stars of Gavin and Stacey next month at the National Television Awards at London’s O2 arena.

Oscar’s proud mother, Kirsty Pritchard-Hartland, said: “He wasn’t too worried about his GCSE results, he’s only ever wanted a career in showbusiness and he’s well on the way.”

Oscar got involved in the hit sitcom “entirely by accident”.

Kirsty said: “A friend of ours told us that a production company was looking for a baby.

“I sent Baby Cow Productions an image of my son to see if they were interested. I did not think they would get back in touch. But a few days later they did and we were called in.

“My son was offered the part. There were two other babies playing Neil, too.”