Fancy joining the cast of Gogglebox? If you’re Scottish and reckon your family could be as entertaining as the Malones or the Siddiquis, you might just be in luck. After pressure from viewers–and the leader of the Scottish Conservative party no less–Gogglebox producers have dedicated a taskforce to finding a Scottish family to appear on Gogglebox next year.
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Scottish Goggleboxers
Back in September Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross raised the lack of Scottish representation on Gogglebox at Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee. He even volunteered himself and his wife - saying they are ‘big fans’ and watch the show every week.
While it doesn’t sound like Douglas will be getting a call anytime soon, Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon confirmed in a letter to a Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee that a budget has been agreed for a casting team to find a Scottish family to join the Gogglebox cast. She wrote:
The casting period is already underway and will run up to Christmas. The ambition is to identify at least one Scottish family who will become part of the Gogglebox cast for the next series which will air in the New Year.
It was also revealed that half of Channel 4’s complaints in 2020 were about the lack of Scots on Gogglebox.
How much do Gogglebox families get paid?
If you’re hoping to get rich off Gogglebox, you might have to think again. While Channel 4 hasn’t officially confirmed how much the families get paid, an insider has previously claimed that each family gets a £1500 monthly allowance–so it’s unsurprising that most of the cast still have day jobs too. Still, if you’re the next Scarlett Moffatt, the show could be a gateway to a lucrative telly career.
