Gavin and Stacey's Ruth Jones shared what James Corden is really like in person

James Corden has been in the headlines lately after a restaurant owner branded him the 'most abusive customer', and people have since questioned what he is really like.

Keith McNally, who owns Balthazar in New York City, labelled the talk show host a 'tiny cretin of a man' over his alleged treatment of staff and barred him from eating at his restaurant.

Keith said Corden subsequently apologised and he revoked the ban, but people are still sharing stories about Corden across social media.

However, while these stories are almost always unsubstantiated, someone who should really know what Corden is like to be around is Ruth Jones.

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His Gavin & Stacey co-star and co-writer has worked closely with the 44-year-old for years, and speaking to The Sun about when they wrapped up filming the 2019 Christmas special of the much-loved sitcom, Jones said: "He is a very emotional guy. We had this hug and he was crying.

"He mumbled something and I went, 'What? I'm really sorry, I can't understand what you're saying.'

"And he kept mumbling, and I said (loudly), 'What?' and he said (loudly), 'I would be lost without you.'"

However, while they are very close, she made it clear that their love for each other is platonic.

The 56-year-old said: "As time went by — James is 12 years younger than me — it was very much a brother-sister-type relationship.

"I think I annoyed him hugely as an annoying older sister and he annoyed me hugely as an annoying younger brother. But it was very playful. We were either bickering or playing."

At one point though, Rob Brydon - who plays Uncle Bryn in the show - said he had to give Corden a talking to after he started acting 'ratty and irritable' as his star rose.

"I'd known him for a while – we met on a big comedy-drama called Cruise of the Gods in about 2002," Brydon told The Independent in 2019.

"I was very impressed by him, although he was very young, very green – very provincial is how I would describe him, not unlike myself at that age.

"He is such a talent, James, good God he really is. So he was on a rollercoaster."

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He explained that, while Corden was 'enjoying the fruits of his success', he 'lost his way for a bit'.

The comedian said at the time: "He was burning the candle at both ends, and becoming ratty and irritable. He was in a washing machine being battered around. I felt for him.

"And the press over here were hoping and praying he'd fall flat on his face, because that would be a fantastic story."

Worried that his co-star would end up ruining his reputation, Brydon decided to take him out for lunch and set him straight.

He said: "I was sitting there thinking, 'When am I going to bring this up?' and I just said, 'I don't like hearing people saying this, because that's not the person I know. So you need to be careful.'

"And he took it in the spirit that it was intended."

Topics: Celebrity, James Corden

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey