Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Fresh out the box
GOGGLEBOX C4, 9pm ANOTHER series of the sharptongued tellybox show begins, but this 11th run will be tinged with sadness.
It’s the first ever without dear old Leon, the ‘Grandfather of Gogglebox’, who died aged 83 in December.
Fans of the show felt they had lost a friend when the news broke, and there was an outpouring of love and support for his 78-yearold wife June.
Leon and June Bernicoff, who had been together for six decades, were the original stars of the show, entertaining millions of us with their affectionate banter and Leon’s cheeky antics.
And so there will most certainly be an armchair-shaped hole in our viewing this time around.
Another departure this time is Josh Tapper, who is taking a break after landing a civil service apprenticeship based in the Cabinet Office. The 20-year-old will be leaving mum Nikki, dad
Jonathan and sister
Amy to continue their roles as TV critics.
Other returning favourites we can expect to see are the Siddiqui family, the Malones (and their millions of dogs), Giles and Mary, Ellie and Izzi and Jenny and Lee. There are also relative newcomers Amira and Iqra, Pete and Sophie and Mary and Marina.
As ever, the armchair experts will tell it like it is as we watch them watch the week’s TV highlights. Whether it’s new crime drama such as Marcella, reality show Survival of the Fittest, or a nature doc like Earth’s Natural Wonders, you can expect comedy insights and drama from their hilarious reactions.