Nine Gogglebox families who quit the hit Channel 4 show - and their VERY different reasons for shunning TV fame

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

The Reverend Kate Bottley shocked Gogglebox viewers this week by revealing she had to quit the show because it was damaging her home life - and costing her money.
The Radio 2 presenter, who proved a hit on the Channel 4 show, said this week she left the show as she was unaware how taking part would 'take over our lives'.
She joined the programme, which started in 2013, to change the public perception of faith - but her experience was instead marked by 'consensual exploitation'.
Her two children missed out on help with their homework and playdates with friends as they stayed in their rooms while a large crew were in their home.
Family meal times were also disrupted and the couple's differing personalities led to relentless trolling from the public.
Her astonishing confessions have got fans thinking - which other Gogglebox families have made an excuse for departure that veils some real discontent?
Stephen and Daniel Lustig-Webb
The hairdresser couple from Brighton left the show in September 2023, posting to Instagram to announce their departure.
Stephen, 53, wrote: 'After careful consideration, Daniel and I have decided we will not be returning for the new series of Gogglebox.
'We would both like to thank Channel 4 and [production company] Studio Lambert for letting us be part of this amazing, funny and heartwarming show.
'We are also extremely thankful to the cast and crew, or Gogglebox family as we call them, and of course the fans.
'Thank you for all of your love and support over the years.'
Stephen, 53, had been on the show for ten years by this time, since its very first series.
He initially appeared on the reality programme alongside his friend and former partner Chris Ashby-Steed, who left in 2018.
After starring with his mother Pat for two series, his husband Daniel, 50, soon joined him on the show after they were married.
Viewers loved Stephen, who shot to wider fame, appearing on Alan Carr: Chatty Man and cast in last year's series of Dancing On Ice before withdrawing due to injury.
He also appeared on Channel 4 reality programme Celebs Go Dating
Stephen and Daniel, who co-own West Sussex hair salon Lustig and Webb, revealed in April last year they were getting a divorce after six years of marriage.
And despite this, Daniel confessed on Best's Suddenly Single podcast in January that at the time, they were still living together while they tried to sell their apartment.
He said: 'We cohabit really well together... We've found a way to work together, live together and be dog dads. It's always been about friendship.'
Chris Ashby-Steed
Fellow hairdressers Stephen and Chris originally appeared on Gogglebox together, when the programme first began in 2013.
Five years later, Chris departed to pursue new opportunities, posting on X at the time: 'I'd like to announce I've decided to leave and am looking forward to the exciting adventures that lay ahead.
'Huge thanks to @C4Gogglebox @Channel4 for the amazing experiences I've had and wish cast and crew well.
Five years later, Chris (pictured with Stephen at the National Television Awards in 2017) departed to pursue new opportunities, posting on X at the time: 'I'd like to announce I've decided to leave and am looking forward to the exciting adventures that lay ahead'
'Massive thanks to the fans for their support! #watchthisspace.'
He admitted he was looking for 'a new start' after tying the knot with husband Tony Ashby-Steed in 2017.
Chris wrote: 'After ten series, a wedding and a helluva lot of takeaways, our lovely dogs and I have decided it's time to say a very fond farewell to our Gogglebox family.
'I've loved every minute of being on the show and will never forget all the amazing things it's allowed me to do.
'Since my wedding, it's felt like there should be a new start so I'm taking the plunge to see what's out there!
'I'm really looking forward to what the future holds, especially pursuing a career in TV, as I hope to show viewers that I have many more talents. So, watch this space!'
A spokesperson for Channel 4 told MailOnline at the time: 'Chris has decided to pursue other opportunities but we want to thank him for his fantastic contributions across ten series of Gogglebox.'
As of 2023, Chris had moved with his husband to the Welsh town of Newcastle Emlyn and was working in hairdressing and furniture restoration.
Tony was working at Legal and General and the pair were planning to rent out four of their guest bedrooms on Airbnb.
He told WalesOnline in 2022 of leaving Brighton: 'I had the memories of Gogglebox there too and I wanted to eliminate those.'
Chris said he struggled with his mental health during his time on the programme: 'I felt like I was pretending and it was just this real angst.
'I got this real anxiety about different places because it'd be like, people would stare at me and [I'd] be like, "Oh my God, they're staring at me, what are they going to say?"'
The Michael family
Andrew and Carolyne Michael, along with their children Louis and Alex, also from Brighton, left Gogglebox in 2015, two years after it began.
Their departure came because Andrew stood as the UKIP candidate for Hastings and Rye in the 2015 general election.
A spokesperson for the programme explained at the time: 'It's with great regret that the Michaels are no longer on the show.
'Sadly, any Gogglebox cast member who becomes a candidate for a political party will have to step down from their involvement in Gogglebox.
After he did not win the seat, the family (pictured) returned to the programme
'They have been excellent contributors and we are very grateful for all they have given to the show.'
After he did not win the seat, the family returned to the programme.
Andrew told The Sun at the time: 'I have a responsibility to keep my family happy after they supported me last autumn. That was a big deal for us.
'They supported me then, so it's my time to support them now.
'Now I have stepped down from my official position as a prospective parliamentary candidate. I was happy to step down in order to pick up Gogglebox.'
But the Michael family then left the show for a second time when Andrew sadly passed away aged 61 in August 2021.
A statement at the time from Channel 4 and Studio Lambert said he died after a short illness 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', it said.
'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.'
Marina Wingrove
Marina Wingrove left the show in 2021 after her best friend, fellow retirement village resident and Gogglebox co-star Mary Cook sadly passed away.
The Bristolian next door neighbours joined the show in 2016, quickly becoming consistent fan favourites during their five-year stint.
She paid tribute to Mary at the time: 'My dearest friend Mary, treasured memories will last forever.
'Our laughs and giggles and our ups and downs will forever be in my heart. Deepest sympathies to Mary's family. Love Marina.'
Marina has long been a keen fundraiser, raising more than £41,000 for charity over 17 years, including Macmillan, Great Western Air Ambulance and Children's Hospice South West.
She ran an array of fundraising events at her retirement village since moving there nearly 20 years ago, including coffee mornings, afternoon teas and Christmas fairs.
But Marina hosted her last charity function in October last year: 'I'm very grateful to all the residents for their support.
'They're very generous and they always buy a raffle ticket or donate prizes. I've enjoyed every minute of it.
'I'm sorry to give it up but it's time for me to stop and have a rest now. I'll be 90 at Christmas.'
The Gilbey family
The Gilbey family, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, consisting of Pete, Linda and their son George, entered the show during its second series in 2013.
They departed the programme a year later when George decided to take part in the 14th series of Celebrity Big Brother, reaching the final and finishing in fourth.
His participation on the rival Channel 5 show was deemed a rule breaker by producers.
The trio returned to Gogglebox in 2016, before George left again in 2018.
It came after he was fined and sentenced to community service for assault and criminal damage against his girlfriend Gemma Conway.
He was also then jailed for three months for drunk driving in 2019.
His parents continued on Gogglebox until 2020, before Pete sadly passed away from bowel cancer, aged 71, in June 2021.
And in March last year, George also tragically died, after falling 80ft to his death through a plastic skylight while working on a roof.
The electrician, 40, sustained traumatic injuries to his head and torso and died at the scene in Shoeburyness, Essex, an inquest in Chelmsford in April last year heard.
Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes opened then suspended the inquest, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.
Coroner's officer Deborah Frost said paramedics and police attended but he died at the scene.
His provisional cause of death was recorded as 'traumatic injury to head and torso consistent with fall from height'.
A man, aged in his 40s and from the Witham area of Essex, was previously arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the incident.
He was later released by police under investigation.
A close friend told The Sun at the time his beloved mum Linda was left devastated as they described George as her 'little treasure'.
They explained: 'First, she lost Pete, now her son as well. She is incredibly emotional. George was like her little treasure.'
Speaking at the time of Pete's death, Linda revealed her son had been left 'really cut up'.
She said: 'Pete was a lovely man and I was so lucky to have him for 25 years. I said to him, "We've not only been 25 years, it's been day and night with each other."
'He was my life. I have a message from a young lad I know who said, "Ordinary people won't be remembered, but we'll remember Pete forever - like the pyramids."
'I thought that was beautiful. He was so proud of George when he was in Big Brother too. Him and George really loved each other, George is really cut up.'
Sandi and Sandra
Best pals Sandi Bogle and Sandra Martin, from the Brixton area of London, entertained viewers with their lively friendship after joining Gogglebox in 2013.
Sandi suddenly departed in 2016, sparking rumours of a feud between the friends - and she was soon followed a year later by her friend.
Sandra addressed the rumours on ITV chat show Lorraine in 2018, saying the pals grew apart: 'Sandi was very busy being a celebrity.'
Sandi appeared on the 20th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, finishing in ninth place.
She is the cousin of supermodel Naomi Campbell, who appeared in a Gogglebox charity special in 2014.
Sandra told The Sun in 2023 she was unemployed and living off handouts from celebrity pals: 'I get celebrity loans. No, they don't get paid back, I don't give it back.'
During her time on Gogglebox, Sandra revealed everything was paid for, leaving her £500 a month to do whatever she wanted.
She revealed since leaving, she had not worked but was still living well as her private property in Hastings was also paid for.
'I don't work, so I can't get paid. But they pay for my expenses, the hotels.
'Someone took me to Amsterdam and Ibiza - I get a lot of free trips, I'm just not getting paid.'
The Tapper family
The family of four, consisting of parents Nikki and Jonathan and kids Josh and Amy, were some of the original Gogglebox cast members in series one in 2013.
But just like his co-star Andrew Michael, Josh left the programme in 2018 after getting a job at the Cabinet Office - and his family soon followed.
He told The Mirror: 'I want to move away from that and the focus is now very much on my job.
'Of course, I miss it and sitting on the couch watching TV. But I am more focused on my future... it's a more secure path.
'I don't think any ministers recognise me but the civil servants do. It took them a while to mention it - a total of about two days!'
Mum Nikki told The Sun in 2023 their departure also came more generally because the kids were growing up and getting too busy with work and university commitments.
'Our circumstances changed. It was a shame but it just wasn't possible for us to film the show any more', she explained.
'The best thing about doing Gogglebox, for all of us, is that we got to spend so much time together as a family, which we would never ever have otherwise.'
But just like his co-star Andrew Michael, Josh (second left, pictured with his family and new wife Hannah at his wedding earlier this year) left the programme in 2018 after getting a job at the Cabinet Office - and his family soon followed
'Who sits for that amount of time with their teenage kids on a Friday or Saturday night?'
Since their time on the Channel 4 programme, Amy has appeared on Celebs Go Dating, in 2018.
She also teamed up with her dad for Celebrity Coach Trip in 2020, taking a coach tour with fellow stars, with the passengers voting for the pair they least like travelling with each day for booting off.
The Moffatt family
The Moffatt family, consisting of parents Mark and Betty and their daughters Scarlett and Ava, from County Durham, joined Gogglebox during its third series in 2014.
Scarlett quickly became a fan favourite for her outspoken takes, shooting to wider fame beyond the show as she took on a burgeoning career in TV.
It saw the family depart the Channel 4 programme in 2016 - and Scarlett went on to win that year's series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.
She began making a variety of TV and presenting appearances, including on Chris Ramsey's panel show Virtually Famous and hosting backstage at the 2017 National Television Awards.
Scarlett took on a presenting gig on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway that year - but was dropped in 2019.
Scarlett's rise to wider TV fame saw the family depart the Channel 4 programme in 2016 - and Scarlett went on to win that year's series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! (pictured)
An ITV spokesperson said at the time: 'Scarlett Moffatt won't feature as a contributor in the 2020 series of Saturday Night Takeaway.
'We thank Scarlett for all of her hard work on the show and will announce details of the new series nearer transmission.'
Since 2020, she has hosted BBC Radio 1 podcast Scarlett Moffatt Wants to Believe with her boyfriend Scott Dobinson.
Steph and Dom
Steph and Dom Parker quickly became known as 'the posh couple' on Gogglebox upon joining in series one.
They were always seen settling in to a night in front of the box in their smart living room with their beloved sausage dog sat between them.
But the couple left the show in 2016, wanting to make way for new stars of the sofa.
They told The Sun at the time: 'We think it's important that everyone gets their chance to be on Gogglebox and give their opinion.
'And having been on it from the beginning we felt like we'd pretty much said all we needed to say, and we knew what we were going to say.'
The couple (pictured on This Morning in 2020) left the show in 2016, wanting to make way for new stars of the sofa
Before appearing on Gogglebox, they had taken part in Channel 4's B&B review show Four In A Bed with their hotel The Salutation in Sandwich, Kent.
The company running the hotel, managed by John and Dorothy Fothergill, went bust in 2020 after the couple took out a five-year lease on the business in 2016.
The impressive Kent mansion featured heavily on Gogglebox - but the couple have now sold it and live in Spain's Canary Islands.
They also now own a gin company called Guzzlebox Spirits, selling a tipple named Steph and Dom's Premium Oaked Dry Gin.
The couple have made extensive TV appearances since their time on the show, including on Celebrity Masterchef and Celebrity Hunted.