How Gogglebox stars have cashed in on surprise fame with £20k car ads, lingerie shoots and cameos with Hollywood stars
FOR 10 years, Gogglebox has thrilled fans with some of the most priceless moments on TV.
We have laughed along – and sometimes cried – with the show’s array of stars who’ve welcomed us into their living rooms all these years.
Each household receives an allowance of £1,500 a month, but some have been savvy with their money-making off the back of the show.
Many of its stars have gone on to become celebrities in their own right and have had massive success with lucrative brand deals and projects.
Although they are normally bound by contracts that forbid them to seek out endorsement deals without express permission from Channel 4 executives, several have either found their way around it or quit to explore other ventures.
Here, we look at the stars who took advantage of their time on Gogglebox to secure even bigger platforms.
Jungle queen to telly gigs
Arguably the most successful star in the show’s history, Scarlett has successfully carved a career outside of the show and is now highly sought after by brands and TV executives.
Appearing on the show from 2014 to 2016, it was her second foray into reality TV following a brief stint on MTV‘s Beauty School Cop Outs.
Although her time on the show was short, she amassed enough popularity to be cast on the 16th series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2016.
After being paid around £50,000 to appear as a contestant, Scarlett ended up winning the series, cementing her position as a bonafide celebrity.
Since then, she has been inundated with high-profile gigs and has presented on shows including Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, I’m a Celebrity: Extra Camp, and has fronted two documentaries.
With over 2.3 million followers on Instagram, it is no surprise that she’s served as an ambassador for brands such as Tampax and Hampton by Hilton.
Car giant deal
Hilarious friends Jenny and Lee have proved they are not just on the Channel 4 show for laughs by scooping up their own big money deals.
In 2021, it was revealed that Jenny, 67, and Lee, 53, had landed an advert for car giant Citroen motors alongside their fellow stars Giles and Mary, Marcus and Mica, and Pete and Sophie.
For the commercial, the duo were paid £20,000 which was split equally to comment on the French car manufacturers’ latest media campaign at the time.
The best pals, who live in Hull and have been mates since 1994 joined Gogglebox in 2014 and have delivered some of the wittiest one-liners the show has ever seen.
A-List co-star for phone company
In 2013, former partners Chris Ashby-Steed and Stephen Webb were signed up to appear in the first series of Gogglebox – they were a huge hit with viewers.
Their massive popularity quickly paid off and landed them a spot in an EE advert alongside Hollywood superstar Kevin Bacon.
In the commercial, they are seen using the company’s TV Box, which had just launched.
In a statement, EE said: “This is a major launch for EE and the opportunity to place Hollywood star Kevin Bacon alongside down-to-earth TV lovers Christopher and Stephen in their now-famous Brighton home was a no-brainer to showcase the benefits of this fantastic new product.”
Chris and Stephen’s union did not last, however as they broke up and the former left the show in 2018.
Christmas with The Sandifords ad
Siblings Pete and Sophie Sandiford are an epic brother and sister duo and quickly became fan favourites after joining the show’s series 10 in 2017.
The pair from Blackpool, who are also related to the Chuckle Brothers proved to be as business-minded as they are hilarious when they got their own lucrative deals.
After receiving £10,000 each for their involvement in the Citroen adverts, they were also scooped up for a starring role in TalkTalk‘s 2017 Christmas campaign.
It was a fly on the wall unscripted production that was meant to show how normal families across the country celebrate Christmas.
Plus-size lingerie photoshoots
She may have ruffled a few feathers this year when she claimed she was paid more than her former Gogglebox stars as she was “making the show” – but there’s no denying that Sandra, 61, was TV gold.
As part of the OG lineup of stars, she appeared alongside her friend Sandi Bogle and captured the hearts of the nation.
Before quitting the show in 2017, she scored a deal with plus-size lingerie brand Viva Voluptuous and was seen showing off her curves in their Santa corset.
Following her exit, she told The Daily Mail she was expecting to “earn big money” as she had landed a contract with a TV show she couldn’t talk about.
In 2021, she landed a judging role on the Amazon show Now That’s Entertainment, touted as the platform’s answer to Britain’s Got Talent.
She revealed earlier this year, however, that she was back on benefits and regrets leaving the popular show.
Chair tester and dance contests
Known for their funny quips and cute rottweilers, the Malones have established themselves as one of the most loved families on Gogglebox.
But in 2021, son Tom Jr, 29, shocked fans when he revealed he will not be returning to the show just a day before the new series was due to begin.
In a post, he said he was back on the market and asked producers to get at him with any TV offers – he got his wish as he landed a spot on The Real Dirty Dancing in 2022.
His first brand deal, however, came shortly after his exit from the show in a partnership with work gear company BiGDUG as the company’s first head of chair testing.
The role involved him testing out a number of seating options and rating them for their comfort on social media.
Celebrity Big Brother finalist
In September, George made his debut on the show alongside his mother Linda, and father Peter, who has since died.
The family was axed from the show the following year, however, when the 39-year-old decided to appear on Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother.
Reportedly paid tens of thousand for the appearance, he reached the final of the show and managed to finish fourth.
In February 2016, George and his family returned to the show. After he left for a second time, they stayed on until 2020, before Peter’s death the following year after a short illness.
TikTok stars with a BBC gig
In May last year, the Baggs family, consisting of dad Terry, mum, Lisa, and sons Joe and George, shocked fans when they quit the show.
The family who joined in 2020, revealed they decided to step away as they were “so busy with other work commitments.”
A few months later, the BBC announced that brothers Joe, 25, and George, 20, would be part of their first-ever Radio 1 TikTok takeover on Christmas Day.
The pair who have over 2million TikTok followers between them got the slot to give “fans the opportunity to hear their favourite TikTok stars in a completely different light”, according to the broadcaster.