Ruth Jones has claimed that she is surprised by less-than-flattering allegations about the behaviour of her long-time collaborator James Corden.
Despite his role in co-creating and starring with Jones in Gavin & Stacey - one of the most beloved and watched British comedies of all time - Corden has been dogged by accusations that he is "arrogant" and "petulant" once the cameras have stopped rolling.
In 2022 it emerged that he had been banned from New York restaurant Balthazar due to his "rude" behaviour towards staff, an incident which prompted him to publicly apologise, while an infamous AMA Reddit thread is littered with abuse towards him.
In a piece for The Times titled "Can Britain learn to love James Corden again?", Jones insisted that her friend is neither arrogant nor petulant.
"I just don't associate these adjectives with James," she said. "Yes, we've both got on each others' nerves over the years, like a lot of friends do - I should say, I'm equally as annoying to him as he can be to me - but our friendship has lasted nearly 25 years, and he's one of the kindest, biggest-hearted and most generous people I know.
"When I'm out and about with him people stop him for photos or lorry drivers shout hello at traffic lights. People are genuinely delighted to meet him and he always does selfies. He's much nicer than I am in that regard."
The pair are reuniting again this year for the final ever episode of Gavin & Stacey, which is due to air on BBC One this Christmas.
Tony Award-winner Corden, meanwhile, is back on the stage this summer, performing in The Constituent at London's Old Vic until August 10.
Neil Wilkes
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