Former Gogglebox favourite Stephen Webb has opened up about his decade-long run on the show in a new interview, sharing the behind-the-scenes secrets fans might not know.
Hairdresser Stephen, from Brighton, reveals he and former best pal Chris Steed were approached in person ‘at their salon’ to chat to and audition by producers in the early 2010s, with Stephen admitting he ‘never really knew’ the premise of the show and thought it ‘sounded a bit boring’.
Luckily, he was soon proved wrong, even encouraged to open up a Twitter account by producers, which was ‘constantly buzzing’ after each episode and fans from as far as Australia getting in touch.
Speaking to Heart Bingo Online, Stephen also lifts the lid on whether the show is actually scripted, things that didn’t make the final cut, and why he eventually decided to leave.
Speaking to Heart Bingo Online, Stephen Webb says…
How Stephen Joined Gogglebox
On being approached by producers:
“Everyone was street cast on the show. Back then, me and Chris were working in a salon in Brighton and a few producers walked into the salon and said, ‘We’re looking for people to take part in this show. Does anyone want to have a chat?’ They spoke to Chris originally and then Chris said to me, ‘Would you fancy joining me on the sofa to audition?’ That’s how it started. It’s quite a long time ago now.”
On not knowing what the show would be:
“When it first started, we never really knew what the premise of the show was. They kept it all quite quiet for a while and when they kind of did describe it, I thought, ‘Oh, that sounds a bit boring, watching people just watch telly’. I remember the first episode going out and it just worked.”
On the show exploding online:
“I never had a Twitter account at the time, but [producers] suggested I open one, and I did, and my account just lit up. In those first few series, every episode my phone would constantly be buzzing. That first episode went out and it just exploded. I had people texting me from Australia, over in Europe. Once I saw it, I got it and I thought, ‘This is fun’.”
Is Gogglebox Actually Scripted?
Stephen has the perfect comeback for fans who think Gogglebox is staged.
“When I was on Twitter, I used to get people saying that it was scripted, but how could you script that? You can tell it isn’t scripted. It’s true reality TV, not scripted, it’s not constructed in any way. I think that’s the magic of it, and that’s why it keeps going, it hasn’t changed. Most programmes have to adapt and change and bring this in and bring that in, whereas Gogglebox has consistently stayed the same.”
On whether producers gave direction:
“I don’t know what anyone else gets told, but we never got told to do anything because we were naturally expressive anyway. You’re not going to make it on the show if you’re not. You can’t sit and be part of Gogglebox and just watch TV and not say anything because it’s not going to work, is it? They look for people that are expressive and confident. Although, they did have silent Jay. That’s kind of what made him funny, it was an exception to the rules.”
Behind the Cameras
Like other British TV productions that have built loyal followings, Gogglebox runs on intimacy and trust between cast and crew. Where Peaky Blinders cast members had to master the Brummie accent to disappear into Birmingham crime drama, Gogglebox cast had to learn how to forget about the cameras entirely.
On forgetting the cameras were there:
“Do you know what? The cameras actually aren’t that big and you do forget about them. They don’t move, they don’t make any noise, they don’t light up, so you forget they’re there at first. I’ve never done any work on camera, so you are a bit nervous. Once you have a little drink you settle into it. Because you’re at home and you’re given a takeaway and it doesn’t feel like a TV show that you’re filming.”
On how much TV they really watched:
“I think when we first started, we used to do three nights a week because there were only around 10 families back then. We had to fill a lot more time and then more families came on, so filming went down to two days a week, and each day you’re probably filming for about six hours a day. Most people were doing that after work, so you’d get home, sit down in front of the TV and off you go.”
On the takeaway tradition:
“Yeah, you were allowed to request what takeaway you wanted. The reason they supplied you with dinner is because they don’t want you away from the camera cooking. They want you to sit on the sofa. We always used to get an Indian.”
On the ‘Gogglebox bloat’:
“There was always a very big box, and I’m talking, full of sugar of all colours and descriptions, and I used to call it the Gogglebox bloat. I used to make a bit of a pig of myself. Every week they’d bring Colin the caterpillar, and I’d eat the lot! Cup of tea and Colin the caterpillar. I’m happy.”
What Didn’t Make It On Air
Stephen reveals one particularly painful filming session that never saw the light of day.
“The only thing that really sticks out is that we have to watch a programme on cathedrals. It was so dry and dull and boring with me and Chris both sat there yawning. At the end of the bit that we watched, which back then was a lot longer, they said, ‘Oh sorry, we actually weren’t recording, you’re gonna have to watch it again’. We had to watch it again, which was so boring, and it didn’t make it on the show. We were livid. We were like, ‘You put us through 40 minutes of that for nothing!'”
On what they DID get away with:
“Back when it started it was on Wednesday at 10 o’clock, so a good hour past the watershed. I would say it was a little bit more risque back then. Now it’s 9pm on a Friday, you’ve got to be a little bit careful because it’s only just past that watershed. Also, times have changed, and language has changed and some of the things that some of us may have said back 10 years ago, probably wouldn’t make it on now. There was the general rule of, you took it easy on normal people, ripped the celebrities a little bit and slaughtered the politicians!”
Mummy Pat and the Show’s Heart
One of Stephen’s most beloved moments on Gogglebox was bringing his mum Pat onto the sofa.
“She made it on because me and Chris had gone down to filming once a fortnight because of other commitments and it was the executive producer, Tanya. She came to me with the idea of bringing Mummy Pat involved. When they realised that I was just a carbon copy of my mother, they were probably rubbing their hands together.”
On their bond on screen:
“We had a real laugh. I think she did it for about two years, and then because of health reasons she couldn’t carry on really. I look back on that time with my mum, and it is probably my favourite time from filming the show, just because she’s no longer here, but I’ve got that now. On Netflix, I can go and see her any time. It was just a really nice thing for the last few years of my mum’s life that she became a reality TV star. Everyone called her Mummy Pat, she’d get called out and she loved it.”
On their open relationship:
“We were very open with each other, me and my mum. We’d talk about anything. Nothing was off topic for me and my mum. We talked about anything, including sex!”
Why Stephen Decided to Leave
After 10 years on the sofa, Stephen made the call to walk away.
“I think it just felt right. It was the 10 year anniversary. We had a big cast party for 10 years, and it just felt right. I always said, I’ll do it for 10 years and that’ll be it. With anything in life, I love change, and I just thought it’d come to a natural end. If I’d stayed, I would have missed other opportunities. We were getting offered opportunities along the way, and we always turned them down. After 10 years, I thought, ‘Well, I’ve enjoyed my time on Gogglebox, but now let’s explore other opportunities’, so that’s what I did.”
On opportunities being off-limits while on the show:
“Yeah, because the whole premise of the civilian show, and I think that’s why people connect with it. Everyone isn’t a celebrity, they’re just normal people, and the moment you go off and do other shows that have got ‘celebrity’ in the name, you’re no longer viable I guess, for that show.”
On staying part of the Gogglebox family:
“I still feel part of the Gogglebox family, even though I’m not on the show anymore. I still talk to a couple of the producers, and they check in. It’s so nice, I was part of that for so long and I think I’ll always be part of it. I call myself an OG, a Gogglebox OG. I’m Gogglebox royalty. I’m iconic! It’s just amazing that I was part of pop culture like that and something that was so good.”
The Gogglebox alumni network is something Stephen still values. Many British TV stars maintain those long-term connections with cast and crew, including some of the celebrities Heart Bingo has interviewed about their own career-defining shows.
Dancing on Ice, Celebs Go Dating and Life After Gogglebox
When Stephen left Gogglebox in 2023, he wasted no time hitting the celebrity reality TV circuit. He joined Dancing on Ice, ITV’s celebrity ice-skating competition that runs alongside other dance-based reality shows on UK telly.
On his short-lived Dancing on Ice stint:
“I did Dancing On Ice first, but you know how that went. I got that first. I did nine days training before I broke my ankle quite severely in two places. I’ve got metal plates in my ankle now, but since then I’ve done two marathons. I was really gutted that I missed out on that because the cast was great, the production was great, and I just would have loved to have competed and done that, but it wasn’t to be.”
On joining Celebs Go Dating:
“I was fairly newly single, and I thought, ‘Why not. Let’s do it.’ I did have a laugh and it was fun. I met Ella Morgan and we became besties straight away. It was a good experience, but it was quite clear that my dating skills were very rusty. I’d been married and with the same guy for 10 years, so of course I was gonna be rusty!”
On clashing with Paul C. Brunson:
“Yeah, we’re all good. I love his podcast, he’s great at interviewing people. I still message him occasionally, especially if I’ve liked one of his episodes. What Paul said, it all comes from a place of love, and I believe that, so we’re all good. It wasn’t meant to be malicious or anything like that. It was good advice. He’s a good guy, Paul. [The experts] are all really good. Paul, he’s the wise one. They’re all wise. Anna’s definitely the mummy and Tara, she’s the kinky one!”
Would He Ever Go Back to Gogglebox?
The door isn’t fully closed.
“I do miss it. I definitely do miss it. I don’t think I could commit to it again, but I’m glad I was part of it and if they ever ask me back for a Christmas special or an anniversary, of course I’d go back. I’d do it for free, they’re just my Gogglebox family and I would. I wouldn’t want to go back full time, but if they ever ask me back for an anniversary or Christmas special, I’d definitely do it.”
On who he’d return with:
“I don’t know who I’d do it with now, me and Daniel are still really good friends, we run salons together, so we could go back as friends perhaps. I keep saying I’ve already had more line-ups than the Sugababes.”
Stephen’s dream future spin-off:
“I hope one day in about 30 years, they come and find me in my old people’s home and go, ‘would you like to come back on?’ and I’ll be like, ‘yeah’. Can you imagine how much ruder I’ll be in 30 years? I don’t care anymore! They should do a spin-off one day and bring back the oldies, I think it’d be really great.”
What’s Next for Stephen?
At 55, Stephen says he’s focused on doing things that challenge him.
“I’m 55 this year, so I feel like this is a new beginning for me, and I’m just kind of trying to do things that are a bit more authentic. I’m doing marathons, I’m being super healthy with my eating and stuff. It all sounds quite boring, but it’s not, and it’s just making me feel good and it’s where I am at in my life at the moment and I love it.”
On dream future shows:
“I’d love to do SAS. I think that show you’d come away changed somehow. As long as you go into it for the right reasons. The only thing that puts me off a little bit is all the shouting. That bit scares me. But don’t forget this is the SAS so you’ve got to think like that, and no one in the SAS is going to be patting you back going, ‘come on, you can do it!’ I just want to do stuff that challenges me. I’d love to do some challenge shows.”
One show he’d turn down:
“Yeah, I would turn down Big Brother. I just can’t imagine being cooped up in a house for three weeks with loads of other people. Especially if there was someone there that you didn’t quite click with. I just don’t think it’d be right for me.”
