Millions of TV viewers were reminded of beloved comedy duo Hale and Pace when they were unexpectedly mentioned during the Gavin And Stacey Christmas special.
Over 12 million Brits tuned in for the last-ever episode of the beloved sitcom which saw characters Smithy (James Corden) and Nessa (Ruth Jones) finally get married.
During the special, Nessa – in one of many anecdotes from her colourful past – mentioned she had once rented a room from Hale and Pace.
Gareth Hale and Norman Pace were a comedy duo who performed throughout the UK in the 80s and 90s.
Such was the pair’s success they were given their own self-titled show which ran for ten years, ending in 1998.
As they were brought back into public consciousness thanks to Nessa, MailOnline takes a look at where Hale and Pace are now.
Millions of TV viewers were reminded of beloved comedy duo Hale and Pace when they were unexpectedly mentioned during the Gavin And Stacey Christmas special
Gareth Hale and Norman Pace were a comedy duo who performed throughout the UK in the 80s and 90s (pictured in 2018)
During the special, Nessa – in one of many anecdotes from her colourful past – mentioned she had once rented a room from Hale and Pace
Hale and Pace met at a teacher-training college in, South-East London but after five years teaching, they decided to pursue a career in entertainment in the 1970s.
They performed mostly in the Tramshed in Woolwich, London for seven years and later did a series of radio shows for BBC Radio 4.
They got their big break in the 1980s with appearances on shows like The Entertainers and Pushing Up Daisies in 1984.
Two years later they were given a one-off Christmas special on London Weekend Television.
The success of the special got them their self-titled show which debuted in 1988.
The series was mostly a mixture of sketches and stand-up comedy along with at least one musical number in each episode performed by either Hale and/or Pace.
Some of their more memorable characters included bouncers The Two Rons along with kids TV presenters Billy and Johnny.
The show ended in 1998 and since then Hale and Pace have since largely disbanded except for the occasional joint appearance over the years.
Gareth Hale and Norman Pace were a comedy duo who performed throughout the UK in the 80s and 90s
Such was the pair’s success they were given their own self-titled show which ran for ten years, ending in 1998 – pictured dressed as Noel and Liam Gallagher
The series was mostly a mixture of sketches and stand-up comedy along with at least one musical number in each episode performed by either Hale and/or Pace
The show ended in 1998 and since then Hale and Pace have since largely disbanded except for the occasional joint appearance over the years (pictured together in 2009)
They appeared on The Armando Iannucci Shows in 2001 and also made an appearance on the 2007 Christmas Special of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s Extras.
Their most recent appearance as a duo was in 2018 when they starred on several episodes of Benidorm playing financial fraud investigation officers.
Away from Hale and Pace, Gareth appeared on the Channel 5 soap Family Affairs from 2003 to 2005.
He has also appeared on shows including Casualty and Father Brown. His most recent small screen appearance was in the 2021 Nickelodeon kids series Goldie’s Oldies as Grandpa Maury.
Norman on the other hand has focused mainly on theatre work in recent years.
Gareth has carried on with TV work and appeard on show The Royal in 2009
Norman on the other hand has focused mainly on theatre work in recent years
Norman has been married to wife Beverly since 1976 and they have three children (pictured together in 2002)
He starred in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre on the West End and has appeared in productions of One Man, Two Guvnors and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
In 2024, he appeared as Claude in The Baker’s Wife at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.
In an interview with On: Yorkshire Magazine in 2018, Normal said he prefers the stage to the screen.
He said: ‘I prefer stage. It is the party atmosphere and if you get a mistake then you have another seven chances that week to make it right.
‘There is a lot more pressure with television, the pressure is enormous when the camera is right there in front of you, in your face.’
Norman has been married to wife Beverly since 1976 and they have three children.
