It was on March 7, 2013 that a new reality show made its Channel 4 debut.
Gogglebox was to prove a whole new concept. At first people were perplexed at the thought of sitting at home watching on TV other people watching the TV. But seeing everyday families like themselves soon became compulsive viewing.
Fast-forward a decade, with Gogglebox about to hit its big 10-year milestone this spring, and the now multi-award-winning series is proving just as popular. Viewers tend to see many of the regular Gogglebox families as friends and many have favourites whose sharp wit and banter they like or whose comments and reactions to the previous week's TV shows might be much like their own.
Read more: The hidden lives of Gogglebox, their jobs and unseen families
But many families have come and gone over those years, with some staying for just one series. Some viewers' favourites - as well as the original narrator Carolie Aherne - have died but remain fondly remembered.
Craig Cash has narrated the series since Aherne's death in 2016 and it continues to pull in the viewers as a staple of Friday night TV. To help celebrate the upcoming anniversary of the long-running series, here's a look-back at some of its original cast members, by the Liverpool Echo, and what they are up to now.
Stephen Webb
The Brighton-based hairdresser has been on the show for years and fans love his wicked sense of humour. He initially made his debut with former partner Chris but the pair split.
Stephen has also appeared on the show with his mother Pat, who he has spoken about many times during his time on the show, and now is joined on the sofa by his husband Daniel Lustig, who first started appearing in 2019.
Siddiqui family (Sid, Umar, Bassit and Raza)
The Siddiqui family are favourites with Gogglebox fans and have been part of it for several seasons. The regulars are Baasit, Umar and their dad Sid but other members of their family have started making appearances too, such as sibling Raza.
Baasit has been teaching for 10 years and delivers national workshops for children through his company Siddiqui Education, which aims to help schools bridge the attainment gap and buildi aspirations of disadvantaged students compared to non-disadvantaged students.
When away from filming, Umar Siddiqui produces electronic music under the name Burk Hold Dear and has released his music as singles.
Michael family (Andrew, Carolyne, Louis, Alex and Katie)
The Michaels were one of the original families on the show when it first aired in 2013 and dad Andrew, wife Carolyne, daughter Alex and son Louis became very popular with viewers.
They were a Gogglebox staple until Andrew revealed he was running as an MP for UKIP in the 2015 general election but the political side meant they had to leave the show.
However, they were invited back in September 2015 after Andrew lost out on election and decided to put his political career on hold. Then, in August 2021, fans were shocked to hear of Andrew's death at the aged 61, with a statement from Channel 4 and producers Studio Lambert saying it was after a short illness.
At the time, they said: "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.
It added: "Our love and thoughts are with Carolyne and the entire family. The family have asked for privacy at this very sad time."
Allen family (Charlotte, Gemma and Louise)
The three sisters from Essex, who all were still living with their parents, lasted in Gogglebox for two series. The Twitter profiles of Charlotte, Gemma and Louise are still active, however, although their latest post was in 2017.
It is believed Charlotte was working in the fashion industry when she joined Gogglebox.
Steven Dermott and Michael Wilcock
These best friends from Liverpool appeared in series one and two. Steven has since gone on to become famous on TikTok, gaining 3.8m followers and 54.7m likes on the platform.
Stephanie and Dominic Parker
Known as Steph and Dom, the 'posh' couple were a hit on the show for their witty one-liners and were rarely seen without a glass of bubbles or a gin in their hand. After four years on Gogglebox, they left to do other projects and to continue running their bed and breakfast, The Salutation, in Kent.
They also starred in reality TV shows such as Four In a Bed, Celebrity Masterchef and The Jump. They even took to the stage for 2017's Let's Sing and Dance For Comic Relief to perform Dead Ringer For Love by Meatloaf and Cher.
Sandi Bogle and Sandra Martin
The Brixton friends enjoyed a laugh and usually had viewers laughing too. The takeaway-lovers separated however in 2016 when Sandi decided to leave the show.
Sandi, however, continued with her daughter Chanchez. Now a famous face, she has taken part in several reality TV shows, including Celebs On The Farm, Celebrity 100% Hotter and Celebrity Fat Fighters.
She also entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2017, becoming the sixth to be evicted.
Gill Gibson and Helen Tait
This was a mother and daughter from Maidstone in Kent who only featured in the first series of Gogglebox. Little else is known about the pair.
Chris and Colin Staples
Similar to Gill and Helen, father and son Chris and Colin, who were from Manchester, only appeared in the first series.
Leon and June Bernicoff
These popular Gogglebox stars Leon and June Bernicoff quickly became the nation's favourites when they joined the Channel 4 show in 2013. Many viewers were warmed by adoring Leon's comments to his wife.
He died aged 83, two days before Christmas in 2017 and June decided to write their love story in tribute to him. She said: “Leon always said ‘One day I will write our story – our love story.”
He wasn’t able to get around to it but June wrote it for him, explaining: “I was approached a couple of months after he died and I thought it may be quite a fitting thing to do – a tribute to him and maybe a way of helping me cope with life after Leon.” June herself died in May 2020, at the age of 82 and after a short illness,
Trapper family
This family - mother Nikki, dad Jonathan and siblings Josh and Amy - first burst onto the screen in 2013. The lovable north Londoners where then whittled down when Josh moved into politics and got a place on the Government Communications Apprenticeship scheme.
Then in October 2018, younger sister Amy also left the show to take part in Celebs Go Dating. Amy has since said she would often type her name into Twitter as new episodes of the Channel 4 show aired, only to see internet trolls making negative comments about her appearance and weight.
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