Buckets of charm.. but couldn’t get life together
Mum’s agony for Gogglebox fave George
THE heartbroken mother of Gogglebox star George Gilbey says he had only been back at work for three days and was trying to “rebuild his life” when he died.
Linda McGarry, 74, paid tribute to her son as a devoted father who had “buckets of personality”.
George, 40, died last Wednesday after falling from height while working at a warehouse in Shoebury, Essex.
He became famous on Channel 4 show Gogglebox alongside Linda and his stepdad Pete, who died in 2021, aged 71, from bowel cancer.
Linda said of her son’s death: “I’m devastated, he was like my best friend. He had the best heart in the world. He was generous, funny and kind, with bundles of charm and personality.
“He did more in his 40 years than people do in 90 – he even had dinner with the Prince of Dubai. He was crazy, but after coming out of showbiz, he could not get his life back together. He couldn’t get over the death of Pete.”
ALCOHOL
George, who had a seven-year-old daughter Amelie by former partner Gemma Conway, had problems with alcohol. In 2018, he was convicted of attacking Gemma in a drunken rage.
A year later, he was jailed for three months for drink-driving.
The relationship with Gemma broke down, but Linda said: “He was a stay-at-home dad after Amelie was born. He was such a good dad. Amelie was his absolute world. He lived for that little girl and his mum. “George was a real contradiction, he was so funny and so intelligent.
“He was smart, quickwitted and he was loud and outgoing, but at the same time very sensitive. He helped others, but struggled himself.
“I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and George took it worse than me. He was a mummy’s boy.”
George joined Gogglebox in 2013 after a friend said they were auditioning for a new TV show. Linda said: “He did an interview, but his friends were too shy. So they called me in. My husband was shy, but he did it anyway. It just took off from there.”
The family were ditched after George signed up for Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, reaching the final. In 2016, they returned, but George left again in 2018 and Linda and Pete continued without him until 2020.
Linda, of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, said: “He came to celebrity overnight but didn’t really want it – he was just normal.”
Police and the Health and Safety Executive are probing his death. A man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
He was smart and loud and outgoing, but he was also very sensitive