Gogglebox debuted on our screen ten years ago, and propelled the nation into the living-rooms of some of the country’s favourite Britons.
From the ever-bickering Giles and Mary to the inseparable Jenny and Lee in Hull and the Siddiqui family, many viewers have spent the past decade watching these Brits as they broke down weeks of telly.
Some, like hairdresser Stephen Webb, in Sussex, have been with the show since its very first season in 2013, and have been through major life milestones, like getting married to his husband Daniel, whom he met when he was on the show.
Meanwhile others, including Leon and June Bernicoff and Andi Michael have sadly died since appearing on the show.
Here Femail takes a look at the lives of some of the show’s most beloved participants…
STEPHEN WEBB AND CHRIS STEED
Stephen Webb is one of the longest standing members of the Gogglebox cast, having appeared on the show since series one – initially alongside his boyfriend Chris Steed (pictured)
Stephen, 53, is one of the longest standing members of the Gogglebox cast, having been recruited for the show’s first series.
In the earlier series, he appeared on the show with his boyfriend Chris Steed, but as the show went on, the pair broke up, remaining friends and appearing on GoogleBox together.
Steed left the show in 2018, and in recent years, his husband Tony claimed he was ‘bullied off’ the reality show by Stephen.
In September, Tony blasted production staff on the Channel 4 series in a string of tweets which tagged Paige Deville, 24, following her then-recent claims of having an unpleasant experience as a contributor as well.
Our hearts go out to you @Paige_deville. The studio stood by and watched Stephen bully my husband Chris off the show and did nothing to stop him,’ he began.
After Sreed left the show viewers were introduced to Stephen’s new beau Daniel, whom he went on to marry in July 2018
‘The helped him get his mum on the show behind Chris’s back without even telling him and then a couple of weeks before filming, Stephen through [sic] one of his usual diva strops and refused to film with Chris, and would only film with his mum.
‘They did NOTHING! Chris was devastated then they didn’t contact him once after he was forced off, and I was left to deal with Chris’s shattered mental health.
‘Even a year later when the story partly came out, the Daily Mirror and the BBC were too scared to allow the whole truth to come out for fear of being sued.
‘The studio imposed a kind of gagging order on him to stop the story coming out. Awful people the lot of them. You’re better off away from it, hun xxx,’ he concluded.
An original couch potato since its 2013 debut, Chris was removed from the show and replaced with Stephen’s mum in 2018, a move he admitted left him suicidal. He married Tony a year before the event took place.
Stephen’s mother Pat also left the show, but remains so popular that fans are still begging for her to return.
Instead, Stephen was joined on the sofa by his beau Daniel Lustig, whom he went on to marry in July 2018.
The couple regaled fans with details of their wedding plans ahead of the big day as they appeared on the show.
An original couch potato since its 2013 debut, Chris was removed from the show and replaced with Stephen’s mum in 2018, a move he admitted left him suicidal. He married Tony a year before the event took place (pictured, Chris and Tony)
They ended up tying the knot in picturesque Chateau de Lisse in Lot-et-Garonne.
The Sun has revealed that each of the households participating in Googlebox earn £1,500 every month, a sum that Stephen and Daniel have put to good use.
The pair are still together and bought a fancy £575,000 house by the Brighton seafront.
When they are not filming, and when Stephen is not working his day job as a hairdresser, the pair love to go on luxury holidays to Marrakesh and other sunny destinations.
However despite his popularity with fans of the show, he has not been withotu controversy over the last few years.
He was forced to issue an apology after reportedly pulling an unsuspecting woman into a swimming pool during a row at an exclusive club in Brighton.
The TV personality was said to be furious after being pushed into a pool fully clothed, before retaliating by dragging the woman into the water.
Following the incident at Brighton Beach House, Stephen has told how it was ‘never his intention’ to hurt the woman, adding that he was in ‘good spirits’ over the prank.
PETE AND SOPHIE SANDIFORD
Pete and Sophie Sandiford, two siblings from Blackpool, first appeared onscreen in 2017 when the show was in its tenth series
Pete and Sophie Sandiford, two siblings from Blackpool, first appeared onscreen in 2017 when the show was in its tenth series.
Pete works as a builder for his day job, while Sophie, 27, used to work as window dresser in Debenhams.
The two siblings became fan favourites thanks to their dark humour and dirty jokes, and viewers have seen how their lives have changed since the first series.
Since appearing on the show, Sophie has lost her job after Debenhams went into administration during the Covid-19 pandemic.
After losing her job, she retrained to become a florist and set up her business last year, showing Pete some of her confection on the show.
Viewers also got to see how Pete, who was 24 when the show started and is now 29, fell in love with his now-wife Paige, who has never appeared on the show.
Pete welcomed son, Jimmy, in September 2021 with his wife Paige, with Pete letting the news slip while speaking to The Mirror at the National TV Awards
Peter and Paige tied the knot in May 2021, with Pete celebrating their six months anniversary with a heartfelt message on Instagram.
‘Happy 6 month wedding anniversary to my best mate, wife and the best mummy in the world,’ he wrote.
Viewers also learned that Pete was going to be a dad on the show, as he made the emotional confession in April 2021.
He made the announcement by showing his sister his baby’s scan on his phone.
As the pair looked at the picture and Sophie said she couldn’t wait to be an aunt and find out the baby’s gender, Pete said he couldn’t believe he was going to be a dad.
‘Innit mad? I am actually going to be a dad to somebody,’ Pete told his sister.
Sophie and Pete became fan favourites thanks to their dark humour and dirty jokes, and viewers have seen how their lives have changed since the first series
‘Crazy. Life’s coming at you fast,’ Sophie replied.
Pete and Paige welcomed their son, Jimmy, in September 2021, with Pete letting the news slip while speaking to The Mirror at the National TV Awards.
‘It’s a bit overwhelming, got it all going on at the moment,’ he said.
‘He’s a cool little lad, takes after his mum not me,’ before adding, ‘I’ve been up all night, I slept on the train here – got suitcases under my eyes, you just got me at a good time now.’
And the baby has made appearances on the show with his dad and aunt since his birth.
Last year, Pete announced he was set to become a dad for a second time while on the programme.
As Sophie cuddled and gushed over Jimmy, Pete said: ‘You’re going to have to make the most of the attention Jimbers, now you’re going to have a little brother or sister coming.
‘You’re going to have to milk it!’
In spite of being one of the show’s most beloved families, Pete and Sophie remain down to earth.
Pete told the Sun in 2021: ‘I am just a builder from Blackpool, so it is a bit strange when celebrities know us. I was on a roof yesterday.’
He also said that in spite of earning an extra £1,500 a month thanks to his appearance on the show, he cannot quit his day job and had ‘to pay my mortgage somehow.’
Meanwhile they also delighted fans when they adopted a Corgi puppy named Colin who immediately wreaked havoc on their house.
STEPH AND DOM PARKER
Steph and Dom Parker, the owners of The Salutation hotel, in Kent, appeared on the show’s first ever series and made such an impression that they are still known as ‘Gogglebox’s posh couple’
Steph and Dom Parker, the owners of The Salutation hotel, in Kent, appeared on the show’s first ever series.
The pair bought their hotel and the 3.5 acres of land surrounding it in 2004 for £2.6million, with Dom telling Richard Eden that it was like ‘finding gold in a river.’
The magnificent home consists of eight bedrooms, seven reception rooms, and eight bathrooms.
Steph and Dom’s infectious laughs and their penchant for a Friday cocktail made them a hit with viewers.
They made such an impression on viewers that they are still known as ‘Gogglebox’s posh couple’, five years after leaving the show to focus on other endeavours.
The pair left Googlebox in 2017, but continued working with Channel 4, appearing in the hit series Four in a Bed, which showcased their beloved hotel in Sandwich
The pair left Googlebox in 2017, but continued working with Channel 4, appearing in the hit series Four in a Bed, which showcased their beloved hotel in Sandwich.
They also starred in another show called Steph and Dom’s One Star to Five Star, which ran for one series in 2017.
In 2019, a garden in the grounds of their hotel won Gold at the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show.
The landscaping is recognised as some of the best in the country, earning RHS Partner Garden status.
Unfortunately, the company running the hotel went into liquidation in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the couple had no choice but to sell for £5million.
Following the sell, Steph and Don started their own radio and TV show called The Great Hotel Escape, which features hotels and the family who decided to run them.
Since selling their hotel, it is believed the couple have spent an increasing amount of time in their Spanish holiday home, located in the Canary Islands.
THE SIDDIQUIS
The Siddiqui family, based in Derby, were some of the original cast members of Gogglebox in 2013
Baasit, 36, Umar, 43, and their dad Sid, 75, have been firm fan favourites since the show premiered
Alongside Stephen, the men of the Siddiqui family, based in Derby, are the only other members of the original Gogglebox cast who remain in the show.
Baasit, 36, Umar, 43, and their dad Sid, 75, have been firm fan favourites since the show premiered a decade ago.
When the show started, Baasit worked as an IT teacher. In 2017, he also launched his own business Siddiqui Education, which offers workshops for disadvantaged students.
Meanwhile, Umar has kept the same job as a biomedical scientist at the Royal Derby Hospital for the past 28 years.
Sid’s children and the extended family sometimes have made appearances on the popular TV show
Viewers have also gotten to see how Umar and Baasit’s families have grown over time.
While the eldest brother is private about his children and his wife, who have never appeared on the show, Baasit often talks of his wife Melissa, whom he calls Mel.
The couple share two children who were born while the show was filming.
Their daughter Amelia has made a number of cameos on the show, while her brother Theodore, who was born in 2019, and Mel have kept away from the limelight.
However, both Mel and Baasit are active on social media, where they like to share behind-the-scenes of the show and family pictures.
Last October, the father-of-two celebrated his and Mel’s ten year anniversary, calling his wife his ‘soulmate.’
With Stephen, the men of the Siddiqui family, based in Derby, are the only other members of the original cast still taking part in GoggleBox
Meanwhile Sid, who was born in Pakistan but moved to the UK at 16, is retired, having worked as a engineer.
He has three other children, two daughters and one other son Raza, who has occasionally made appearance on the show.
The patriarch’s wife Narseen, with whom he’s been married for 38 years, has never appeared on the show.
In 2021, Narseen explained why she didn’t want to appear on the show, saying: ‘Oh no, it’s not something for me.
‘I don’t speak very good English and I’m very shy. It’s best left to the boys.
‘You won’t get me on the TV.’
Appearing on Gogglebox has become ‘totally normal’ for the brothers and their father, who have grown used to the camera system the show uses to film them.
Sid previously told the Derby Telegraph: ‘There are two remote cameras in the room when they’re filming.
‘One is focusing on the family on the sofa and the other turns and films the close-ups of us.
‘If one of us says something or reacts to something in a shocked way the camera will zoom into us.
‘We have become so used to it now it just feels like a normal evening.’
THE MICHAELS
The Michael family, (left to right) Louis, Carolyne, Andy and Alex Michael, appearing on Channel 4’s Gogglebox
The Michael family, from Brighton, appeared in the pilot episode of the show in 2013, with Andy being joined by his wife Carolyne and their children Louis and Alex on the programme.
Andy had retired from his job as an hotelier when the family appeared on the show, while mother-of-four Carolyne was still working as a Spiritual Counsellor & SoulPlan Reader.
Their other children Katy and Pascal didn’t initially appear on the programme.
Katy was travelling in Australia when the family first signed up for the show.
Meanwhile, big brother Pascal was said to be studying neuroscience in Aberdeen when the show started.
Like other cast members, viewers have followed the Michaels through their milestones.
In 2015, they left the show when Andy ran to become an MP for UKIP.
Former Channel 4 Gogglebox stars Andrew and Carolyne Michael attend the UKIP spring conference at the Winter Gardens Theatre in 2015
When he failed to secure an MP seat, Andy, his wife Carolyne, daughter Alex and son Louis rejoined the show, becoming fixtures of the Friday programme.
The couple’s other two children, Katy and Pascal, have since made the odd appearance on the show.
Louis, who is now in his mid twenties, was a teen when the show started in 2013, and viewers have seen him grow into his own and go on to study at Chester University.
While he has not been active on his Instagram page since 2019, Louis has spoken out about being a vegan and has stood out against hunting in the past.
Alex, who is now 32, graduated with a Masters in Computer Science.
While Louis was a regular fixture on the show, Alex appeared less as Gogglebox went on.
In 2021, fans were heartbroken when it was announced Andy had died aged 61 after a short illness.
A statement released said at the time: ‘We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Gogglebox star Andy Michael at the age of 61 following a short illness.
‘Andy passed away last weekend with his family by his side.
‘Retired hotelier Andy, who brought much wit and insight to Gogglebox, was one of the show’s original cast members, appearing in the very first episode in 2013.
‘Beloved father to Katy, Alex, Pascal and Louis, and cherished husband of Carolyne, Andy was a much-loved and respected member of the Gogglebox family, and he will be very sadly missed.
‘Our love and thoughts are with Carolyne and the entire family. The family have asked for privacy at this very sad time.’
Following Andy’s death, Channel 4 confirmed that the family wouldn’t be returning to the show.
JENNY AND LEE
With more than 740,000 followers on their joint Instagram account, it’s clear Jenny Newby and Lee Riley, from Hull, have captured the hearts of Gogglebox fans around the country
With more than 740,000 followers on their joint Instagram account, it’s clear Jenny Newby and Lee Riley, from Hull, have captured the hearts of Gogglebox fans around the country.
The two bestfriends met more than two decades ago, when Jenny was the landlady of a pub called the Crown in Paull, East Riding, where Lee was a customer.
The pair joined the show in 2014, watching the TV from Lee’s caravan and entertaining viewers with their antics.
Jenny was approached by Gogglebox recruiters at Beverley Races Ladies’ Day, and when her husband Ray refused to take part with her, she begged Lee to do it with her.
Lee has not moved from the caravan since the show started, and viewers have never seen what Jenny’s home looks like
Lee admitted to the Hull Daily Mail last May: ‘I’d never seen Gogglebox, it had only just started, so I walked into filming swearing my head off because she’d got me out of bed on my day off.’
Lee is in a longterm relationship with his partner Steve Mail, who, just like Ray, has never appeared on the show.
The Gogglebox star also admitted that the show has helped the pair adopt healthier lifestyles, causing Jenny to quit smoking, and Lee and her to stop drinking while filming.
‘We used to drink, me and Jenny, I think I saw one episode in 2014 and I was there, slurring.
‘It’s not good, so I stopped drinking [on the show] because I don’t know when to stop,’ he told the Daily Star in 2022.
Lee also revealed that Jenny didn’t watch the show for three years after her debut, but eventually relented and watched, because people would come up to her in the street asking about comments she’d have made, and she wouldn’t remember.
Jenny sparked concerns last year when she missed a couple of episodes, but she reassured fans that she was just recovering from an operation and would be back on Gogglebox soon.
Following the minor operation, Jenny revealed she would be taking a break from the show for four months.
Lee has not moved from the caravan since the show started, and viewers have never seen what Jenny’s home looks like.
THE MALONES
In Manchester, Tom Sr and his wife Julie Malone, and their son Shaun have been staples of the show since 2014
Tom Malone, his wife Julie, and their son Shaun, from Manchester, have been staples of the show since 2014.
Usually flanked by their impressive – and sometimes downright mischievous dogs Dave, Lucy and Joe, – viewers learned this family’s hard exterior hid a sweeter side.
Tom, a lorry driver, won over people with his grumpy surface and undeniable soft side.
Meanwhile former receptionist Julie cracked viewers up with her wit, and the neatly presented cakes she always lays out for her boys to eat – which often end up being scoffed off by her pups.
Throughout the years, Julie and Tom Sr welcomed grandchildren and new puppies into their home.
Their two sons, Tom Jr, 29, and Shaun, 26, often joined them on the couch.
The couple’s daughter Vanessa occasionally appeared on the show as well. She is a mother-of-three children, Saoirse, Brogan and Harley.
Tom Sr and Julie’s grandchildren have made several appearances on the show.
The two Malone sons were teens when the show started, but they are now adults with careers of their own.
Tom Jr announced in June 2022 that he wouldn’t return to Gogglebox with his parents.
Tom Jr announced in June 2022 that he wouldn’t return to Gogglebox with his parent (left) Shaun is a happy father-of-one who likes to share update on his son Louis, who was born in 2020, on his social media (right)
Fans were shocked to find that he has a dance crew and is a successful choreographer who has worked with Rita Ora and more.
Tom Jr also revealed last year on Instagram that he was diagnosed with autism in 2020, after years of feeling ‘a little different.’
Posting on his social media at the time, the professional dancer and model said: ‘I don’t normally do very personal posts like this but I thought this one was important.
‘I’ve always felt a bit different, a bit socially awkward and like I just don’t process things in the same way as everybody else.
‘Finally I have an explanation. I’ve recently been diagnosed as autistic,’ he said.
Autism, which spreads over a spectrum of symptoms, manifests itself in the way some people communicate and interact with people and the world that surround them.
Last December, fans praised Tom Sr as his wife revealed he had donated platelets, which will be used to help other people undergoing cancer treatment.
He went on to say he had to adapt to the news and learn to live with his diagnostic.
Meanwhile, his brother Shaun also revealed in 2020 that he suffered a stroke age 15 that left him with brain damage.
Speaking on the Coaching From The Sofa podcast, he said: ‘In 2010 I got sinusitis and in some way, the infection found its way back to my brain.
‘My brain started swelling and my skull started crushing it so my mum took me to A&E saying ‘look he’s poorly!’ and they said it was sinusitis.
‘And then I collapsed one day at home and I ended up going into a coma and they said to my mum and dad that I had a less than 10 per cent chance of living,’ he added.
Shaun revealed he was in a coma for ten days, and that doctors had warned his parents that he would suffer brain damage, but that the extent of the damage was unknown.
After he awoke from his coma, Shaun couldn’t move the left side of his body, and admitted his memory was affected by the incident.
The 26-year-old has recovered from the ordeal, and joined the Manchester United Foundation, where he coaches football.
He is a happy father-of-one who likes to share update on his son Louis, who was born in 2020, on Instagram.
In fact, the family are active on social media, with Tom Sr and Julie often sharing updates with fans.
Last December, fans praised the father-of-three as his wife revealed he had donated platelets, which will be used to help other people undergoing cancer treatment.
MARCUS AND MICA
Marcus Luther and Mica Venna, from South London, joined the show in 2017, with Mica’s daughters Sachelle and Shuggy
Two cast members who were later additions to the Gogglebox cast were Marcus Luther and Mica Venna, from South London, who joined the show in 2017, with Mica’s daughters Sachelle and Shuggy.
The couple have one son, Yash, together, and Marcus also has a son, called Shiloh Defreitas, from a previous relationship.
Marcus works as a boxing coach and in 2009 he founded his own gym, TM Boxing Gym initially to work with ‘disadvantaged youths from the local community’.
The pair met at church, with Marcus joining the same Bible study group as Mica, whom he calls ‘Meesh,’ to seduce her several years ago.
The couple’s quick back and forth banter made them instantly popular with viewers.
Marcus works as a boxing coach and in 2009 he founded his own gym, TM Boxing Gym initially to work with ‘disadvantaged youths from the local community’
But last December, the pair announced that they would be leaving the show after five years, to see ‘what else God has in store’
But last December, the pair announced that they would be leaving the show after five years, to see ‘what else God has in store.’
‘We’ve had so much fun with you all tuning in at home and the hardworking Gogglebox crew but it’s time to put down the remote and see what else God has in store for us,’ a statement issued by the couple at the time said.
‘To everyone that has tuned in & sent us messages of love and encouragement over the years, we appreciate every last one of you. Thank you so much.’
Following their exit from Gogglebox, the pair revealed they have been pursuing new TV endeavours.
A month after their departure from the show, they announced they would be taking part in a BBC game show, Pointless Celebrities.
On Monday, Marcus shared pictures and a hilarious video from backstage of Pointless Celebrities, saying they were appearing on the show and helping their chosen charity, ACLT, the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust Charity.
LEON AND JUNE
June and Leon Bernicoff first appeared on the series in season one, and the country was quick to fall in love with them
June and Leon Bernicoff first appeared on the series in season one, and the country was quick to fall in love with them.
The couple were recruited ahead of the show’s first ever series after they were spotted in a bridge hall.
The pair, who met in 1955 and married five years later, amused viewers with their light bickering.
Leon, a retired teacher, charmed the country with his quips as he struggled to keep up with the GP-recommended diet June was enforcing at home.
The grandfather’s love of food was so strong that his wife once quipped ‘there’s three people in this marriage, you, me, and the fridge.’
Opiniated Leon was not afraid to share his honest thoughts on the news and the political climate of the day, once describing both Nigel Farage and Jamie Oliver as ‘d***heads.’
Sadly Leon passed away in 2017 a few days before Christmas and June passed away less than three years later in 2020
Sadly, Leon passed away after a short illness in 2017, a few days before Christmas.
June had thanked fans for their well-wishes after the news of her husband’s death broke, saying he would have loved ‘hearing how much he was loved.’
Channel 4 and Studio Lambert said in a statement released at the time of Loen’s death: ‘It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sad news that after a short illness Gogglebox’s Leon passed away in hospital earlier today.
‘Leon and his wife June were the first members of the public to be cast for Gogglebox back in early 2013, and they soon grew to become much-loved voices during the course of the show’s 10 series to date.
‘Leon’s unique personality and sharp wit endeared him to fans of the show, as he contributed fully to Gogglebox’s reputation as a programme full of warm humour and unvarnished opinion.
‘To those of us that knew him personally, Leon was a man of unwavering principles who exerted a distinct paternal presence both on and off screen. He will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family; cast and crew.’
June decided not to appear on the show without her husband and left Gogglebox in 2018.
She died less than three years after Leon in 2020, aged 82, after a short illness.
A statement from Channel 4 and production company Studio Lambert, on behalf of June’s family, said: ‘We are deeply saddened to announce that Gogglebox’s much-loved June Bernicoff passed away at the age of 82 on May 5 at home with her family by her side after a short illness.
‘As the first couple to be cast for Gogglebox back in 2013, June and her husband Leon were a huge part of the programme’s success.
‘Their warmth, wit and contrasting personalities endeared them to the nation during the course of the first 10 series.
‘Following Leon’s passing in December 2017, June wrote her first book, Leon And June: Our Story, which was a deeply moving and entertaining chronicle of their 60-year love affair.’
The statement continued: ‘A remarkably independent, principled woman with a vivacious sense of humour and a huge passion for life, June will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew.
‘Despite her departure from the show in 2017, she remained a passionate supporter of the programme, watching it every week, and she was in regular contact with the production team.
‘Our thoughts are with June’s family – Helen and Ian, Julie and Marc, and her beloved grandchildren Frances, Sam and Faye.
‘The family would like to ask for privacy at this sad time, but would like to thank the hospice staff that supported them and cared for June so wonderfully and with such compassion in her final weeks.’
They added: ‘June’s death was not related to COVID-19.’
PETE, LINDA AND GEORGE
Essex couple Pete and Linda appeared on the Channel 4 show with their son George back in 2013
Pete passed away in 2021 at the age of 71 following a short illness. The couple along with son George had been originals on the popular show
Essex couple Pete and Linda appeared on the Channel 4 show with their son George back in 2013.
However, their stint was short-lived, as son George entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2014.
Pete and Linda later returned to the show in 2016, having appeared as regulars ever since.
In October 2019, Liverpool Echo reported that George was jailed for three months after being found guilty of drink-driving.
‘During an appearance at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on October 1, he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a motor vehicle with an alcohol level above the legal limit.’
In June 2021, it was announced that Pete had passed away at the age of 71 following a short illness.
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