Gogglebox family say it was "a shock" to be dropped from show
The family were only shown on the hit Channel 4 show for a couple of episodes in 2020.
Chantelle Walker, her mother Elizabeth and sister Monique appeared in a couple of episodes of Channel 4's Gogglebox — but Chantelle has now spoken out about the show, saying that they were "disappointed" to learn that they had been dropped after a few episodes.
Appearing in the series in 2020, Chantelle has said that Gogglebox had initially put them on hiatus, but that there was then silence "for months". She said: "There was silence for a while and we didn’t know what was going on for months. Then they dropped us, which was a shock."
Even though producers had reportedly told the family that there weren't "enough cameras" to film, Chantelle later found out their Gogglebox contract wasn't being renewed.
“There was no discussion, we couldn’t understand why – but what can you do when they tell you they don’t want to film anymore?," she said. “People were shocked when we were dropped, even now they ask us when we are going back on."
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Filming in 2020 meant that the family were shooting the show during the pandemic and hired Airbnbs as they weren't able to use their own homes.
Speaking to The Sun about their experience, Chantelle explained: "It was a really good experience doing Gogglebox... but it was a bit disappointing, I feel like we should have had more airtime but they chose to use less of us.
"It was fun but I wish it could have been for longer. If I was asked to go on Gogglebox again I would do it.”
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She said that initial interest in her to do the show was likely as a result of going viral on TikTok, stating: "I was going viral - I believe that’s how they found me and asked if I was interested in going through the process. I had quite a few shows interested including The Circle, Gogglebox and another that wanted people and their nans."
Reflecting on her experience on the entertainment show, Chantelle concluded: "It was really cool, I definitely couldn’t complain about how it went."
Gogglebox airs on Channel 4, with episodes available to stream on All4. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide or Streaming Guide. Check out our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
