Gogglebox Linda: George had been trying to rebuild his life
THE heartbroken mum of Gogglebox star George Gilbey says he was trying to rebuild his life when he died.
Linda McGarry has paid tribute to her son as a devoted father who had “buckets of personality”.
George, 40, died following a fall from height at work last Wednesday.
Linda said he had only been back for three days.
George was best known on Channel 4’s Gogglebox alongside Linda, 74, and stepdad Pete.
His grieving mum said: “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 buckets of personality. He did more in his 40 years than people do in 90 – he’s even had dinner with the Prince of Dubai.
“He was crazy, but after coming out of showbiz, he couldn’t get his life back together. He just couldn’t get over the death of Pete.”
His stepdad died aged 71 following a battle with bowel cancer in 2021.
Linda, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, said: “I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and George took it worse than me. He was a mummy’s boy. He came to celebrity overnight but didn’t really want to be.
“But it allowed him to do charity work and any time anyone contacted him he prioritised it. He was a stay-athome dad after his daughter Amelie was born. He was such a good dad.”
George died at the EGL Homecare warehouse at Shoebury, Essex.
Essex Police have launched a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive. A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and has been released under investigation.
George got his break on Gogglebox after a friend said they were auditioning for a show looking for “personalities”. He also reached the final of the 2014 series of Celebrity Big Brother.
He later met former partner Gemma Conway, with whom he had Amelie, seven.