Gogglebox

Fan-favourite Gogglebox stars Jenny and Lee have been a staple on the Channel 4 show for 12 years, having joined the show back in 2014.

The Gogglebox star was in hysterics over Jenny’s marriage remark.

Channel 4 viewers tuned in to watch the nation’s favourite armchair critics give their thoughts and reactions on the latest TV shows of the week. However, in between giving their verdicts on the programmes of the week, Gogglebox favourites Jenny and Lee spoke briefly about marriage.

It comes ahead of the stars settling in to watch the latest HBO drama, War, which follows a very public divorce of two well-known figures. Lee asked Jenny: “Would you ever get divorced?”

After a brief pause, she replied: “Don’t know. No, I’d just wait.” Lee burst out laughing at her quick remark about divorce.

Jenny often speaks about her husband, Ray, on the programme, although he’s opted to stay out of the limelight. However, he did make a very brief cameo recently when he phoned Jenny and viewers got to hear his voice.

Last year, Lee shared a throwback image of Jenny on her wedding day to Ray as he celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. He captioned the post: “Wishing my sidekick Jenny and Ray a happy 50th golden wedding anniversary, who gets the medal.”

It wasn’t long before people commented on the post, with many praising Ray’s ‘epic’ sideburns. One person said, “Ray should get a medal for those sideburns alone. Epic.”

Someone else added, “Jeez, those sideburns have a life of their own.” While another said: “Bl**dy hell, look at those side burns. You could ski down them.”

Although Ray was offered to join Jenny on the Channel 4 show when she was first scouted at Beverley Races Ladies’ Day in 2014, he declined, prompting her best friend Lee to take his place on the couch.

The pair have been friends since 1994 when Lee met Jenny at the pub when she was a landlady. Speaking to Ireland’s Big Issue magazine, Jenny commented: “Lee was a customer at my pub, The Crown Inn in Paull. He became a regular in 1994 and used to come in pretty much every night with his partner and we were friends from the off. We’ve been best friends ever since.”

Lee added: “I wish I’ve never gone in the pub – it cost me a fortune. When I first met her she had a perm and I can remember thinking, ‘She needs a haircut’. We were firm friends immediately. I don’t think we’ve ever had an argument. We’re too placid to argue. She makes me laugh too much for me to ever fall out with her.”

Gogglebox is available to watch Friday’s on Channel 4 from 9pm.

Gogglebox has returned to screens for another episode – but one notable face was missing from screens

A Gogglebox legend was rushed to hospital this week, causing them to miss out on filming for the latest instalment.

The long-running Channel 4 show returned to screens on Friday evening (October 2) for another episode. Back to share their thoughts on the latest bits of telly were siblings Pete and Sophie Sandiford and Ellie and Izzi Warner.

Married couple Andrew and Alfie and best mates Danielle and Daniella from Leeds also made an appearance, as well as newbies to the show, good friends Jude and Sherry.

However, one couple that failed to make an appearance was Sue and Steve from South London. The pair joined the programme in 2019 and quickly became firm favourites with fans.

But this week, Steve was rushed to hospital, meaning they were unable to film this week’s episode. On Instagram, the couple issued an update and shared a photo of Steve in hospital.

In the caption, they wrote: “What a difference a week makes. Steve was a little poorly and had to spend a few days in hospital & but he is home now. Out for lunch and enjoying his first beer in a while. Just call me Nurse Ratched.”

Confirming their absence from the latest episode, Sue told a follower in the comments section of the post: “We won’t see you this week but hopefully next week.” Meanwhile, other fans and Sue and Steve’s Gogglebox co-stars flooded the couple with support.

Izzi Warner wrote: “Glad you’re feeling better Steve.” Meanwhile someone else wrote: “Sorry to hear Steve wasn’t well, glad to hear he’s home and feeling better.” Another then penned: “Sorry to see this. Hope you’re feeling better soon.”

South London couple Sue and Steve joined Gogglebox almost 10 years ago in 2019 – and it’s fair to say it didn’t take them long to become firm favourites with fans.

Over the years, Steve, a retired black cab driver, and Sue, who is semi-retired, have had viewers in stitches thanks to their hilarious one-liners and comical takes on the telly highlights.

Away from the programme, the pair – who have been married for over four decades – are also doting parents to two daughters and are also grandparents to grandson Roman.

Gogglebox airs every Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.

Best friends Jude and Sherry join tonight’s episode of Gogglebox and they have opened up about their 50-years of friendship ahead of the show

Gogglebox will be welcoming two new faces to Friday night’s show.

Best friends Jude, 76, and Sherry, 77, join tonight’s episode of the hit Channel 4 series. The duo are swapping their travels around the world for the Gogglebox sofa, bringing their unique friendship and plenty of stories along with them.

Jude and Sherry first met when their sons were born and have been best friends ever since. Tragically, back in 2009, the two friends were both widowed just a year apart.

Since the devastating loss of their partners, the two friends have become inseparable and in 2017 they started travelling the world together.

The duo have been to Sri Lanka, Mexico, Bangkok, Singapore, Penang and Malacca, and Goa. They’re aiming to visit Chile for their next adventure.

The duo, who have plenty of opinions, are aiming to put their 50-year friendship to the ultimate test on the Gogglebox sofa, including their impressive supply of chilled chocolate and wine.

Talking about joining the show, Sherry said: “I am really excited to be joining the Gogglebox ‘family’ and finding out how the whole process works and which new programmes we get to watch together. We are both very positive people and it is great to be doing something completely new together.”

While Jude added: “I am looking forward to the completely new experience at this stage of my life. A challenge definitely, but an exciting one.”

Talking about their 50-year friendship, Sherry said: “We have been close friends since we met at Queen Charlotte’s Maternity Hospital on the day our sons were born.

“There have been periods when we haven’t seen so much of each other, but since we have both been widowed, we have been together much more, especially since we started travelling together in 2017.”

Meanwhile, Jude added: “As Sherry said, we met 51 years ago, on the day after our sons were born, pushing them along the hospital corridor.

“Through the childhood years as we both went on to have two daughters and then a year apart in 2009 and 2010 we were both widowed, which is when we became even closer and our travels began.”

Watch brand-new Gogglebox on Friday 2 October at 9pm on Channel 4

Several Gogglebox stars were reduced to tears as they tuned into the Dolly Parton tribute at Last Night of the Proms starring Sheridan Smith and Beverley Knight

Emotional Gogglebox stars couldn’t hold back their tears during the latest episode of the Channel 4 show.

The armchair critics returns to screens on Friday (September 18) night as they offered their verdict on the latest programmes on television from Channel 4’s new reality show Apocalypse to ITV thriller Trigger Point.

However, it was Last Night of the Proms which left cast members in tears as they watched performers Sheridan Smith and Beverley Knight pay tribute to country music sensation Dolly Parton, who died on August 25 aged 80 following a brief and undisclosed battle with cancer.

The second half of the BBC concert, which aired on September 12, honoured the songstress with Sheridan singing feminist anthem 9 To 5, Beverley belting out I Will Always Love You and country-pop duo Ward Thomas performing Jolene.

Tuning into the concert from the comfort of their sofas, several Gogglebox stars including Mary Killen, Lee Riley and Jenny Newby were left sobbing as the musical stars paid tribute to Dolly.

Bryan Seaver, Dolly’s head of security and nephew announced the sad news of her passing on social media last month. In the video, he told fans: “Hey everyone. My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I am representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, sis, Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.”

Tributes from around the world were shared following the news, with Elton John saying he was: “Shocked and devastated to hear of Dolly’s passing. A giant of an artist – unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart.”

Sir Paul McCartney also commented: “The magnificent star Dolly Parton has died and it is so sad. She was such a wonderful woman.” It comes after Dolly was posthumously honoured with the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award at the Americana Awards & Honours Awards last week.

The Grammy winner appeared in a pre-recorded video to accept the award. She beamed in the clip where she accepted the award. “Well, hey, it’s Dolly, and I am so honoured to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association,” she began.

“I mean, roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains. It’s that same music that drew me back to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record my album, Hungry Again.”

“And that project really opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that changed the course of my career in so many ways,” she continued.

“Now, new fans discovered these albums, new Americana music communities embraced them, and now looking back at it all, I see this era of my career as a musical renaissance of sorts.

“I want to thank everyone at the AMA for recognising me with this award. It’s a great honor truly, and just know that I will always love you.”

Among Dolly’s many honours include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Country Music Hall of Fame.

Gogglebox airs Fridays on Channel 4 at 9pm

With their unique adults-only approach to cruising, Virgin Voyages is attracting a whole new generation of cruisers

If you’d asked me a few years ago to go on a cruise, it’s fair to say I’d be apprehensive. The idea of being trapped on a floating Butlin’s, pushing past screaming toddlers to reach the lukewarm buffet, wasn’t exactly my idea of a relaxing holiday. Then I heard about Virgin Voyages : no kids, no buffets, and the few people I knew that’d tried it raved about it.

Billed by the company as an adults-only boutique hotel at sea, Richard Branson’s cruise line has won multiple awards since it launched in 2021, as well as amassing a loyal fanbase.

I thought it was time to see if I could become one of those fans, could I finally be a cruise person? I embarked on one of Virgin Voyages’ sailings from Portsmouth, an easy 90-minute drive from my home in Oxfordshire.

This wasn’t just any cruise though, this was one of the company’s specialty comedy cruises – promising top acts from across the UK, all included in your fare.

I have to say, the standard of names was well above what I expected for a cruise ship. Headliners included Celebrity Traitors star Lucy Beaumont, Gogglebox regular Babatunde Aleshé and I’m A Celebrity all-star Seann Walsh, to name a few. All of the comedy shows were excellent, but my standout has to be Matt Richardson, of Xtra Factor fame. His show was genuinely one of the funniest things I’d ever seen, and had the audience in hysterics.

This was all offered alongside Virgin’s regular entertainment offering, which includes bingo with the ship’s resident drag queen, cabaret shows and gameshows – one of which even had a prize from the on-board tattoo parlour.

A tattoo parlour at sea pretty much sums up the whole design and vibes of the ship. Stepping onboard is like walking into a chic beach club in Ibiza. We entered our balcony cabin, and within a few minutes I was sitting in the iconic Virgin Voyages hammock with a glass of champagne. Not bad for a cruise sceptic.

The Valiant Lady may only be five years old, but it’s already had a refurb with refreshed seating areas, menus and a brand new restaurant.

At the very back of the ship sits The Dock, an outdoor lounge and casual small plates eatery that feels extremely relaxed. Forget clunky plastic sunloungers, here you sink into comfortable modern seats and huge beds and look out to the incredible views.

It was here that I started to think ‘I could get used to this’, as a helpful waiter handed me my third sangria and delivered our snacks. Think charred octopus and hanger steak, all included in the fare.

That brings me to one thing I’d heard about cruising – ‘it’s a constant sales pitch’. That may be the case on other cruise lines, but based on what I experienced, it could not be further from the truth on Virgin.

Standard WiFi and soft drinks are free, and every single restaurant on board is included. The majority of dishes are included in the fare, although some venues have one or two premium menu items at an extra cost. We never felt compelled to try these as there were so many appealing options which were included.

In fact, the food is one point that I heard so much about. Replacing the traditional buffet, you have The Galley, a food market style venue with multiple cuisines offered – all made to order. Imagine lots of street food stalls, including tacos, burgers and sushi.

Then there are the sit-down restaurants, which feel like trendy London eateries that I’d genuinely want to eat at on land. There’s no traditional ‘main dining room’ here, and no strict dress code to boot.

Highlights on-board included Ariya, the new Indian restaurant which, for me, blew Dishoom out of the water with its tender lamb shank biryani, and The Wake, a high-end steak restaurant nestled at the bottom of a glamorous, cascading staircase.

There were, of course, things I didn’t love. The pool area is relatively small, and although not an issue on our chilly UK cruise, I could see it becoming more of an issue on a sunnier trip.

There is honestly so much more I could write about this ship. I haven’t even touched on the spectacular Scarlet Night, where the entire ship transforms into a massive bright-red pool party.

I left this holiday feeling fully converted into a ‘cruise person’, so much so that I even booked two more trips before we pulled back into Portsmouth.

If you’ve spent your whole life swearing you’d never set foot on a cruise ship, it might just be time to eat your words. I certainly did, and luckily, the food was spectacular.

A Gogglebox cast member has quit the show after emigrating to Australia with their partner

A Gogglebox star has bid farewell to the show.

Glasgow-based star Calum, 31, first joined the Channel 4 programme last September, alongside his best friend Jake, 27. But now, Calum has left the series after emigrating to Australia with his partner.

Speaking about the move, Calum said: “I am very far away from Scotland right now, and that’s because me and my partner have moved to Australia. That means a few things, the most obvious one being that unfortunately I am leaving the show.

“I had the most wonderful time, and I can’t sing the praises enough of everyone on and off camera, the entire Gogglebox family, so it’s very bittersweet to be leaving.” Calum will be replaced by Jake’s childhood friend, Louis, 28, who will make his debut on Gogglebox this Friday (September 11) at 9pm on Channel 4.

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