‘Gogglebox’ paid special tribute to cast member Leon Bernicoff in the first episode to air since his death.
On Friday (23 February), the Channel 4 show returned for a brand new series, with Leon’s wife June now having bowed out of the show, following his death at the end of last year.
The episode ended with a simple, but poignant, message paying tribute to the long-serving ‘Gogglebox’ cast member, which dedicated the episode to his memory.
The message read: “In loving memory of Leon Bernicoff.”
Many ‘Gogglebox’ fans watching at home were then moved to share their own tributes, as well as praising Channel 4 for including a dedication to Leon:
Leon and June weren’t the only missing faces when the show returned, though, with Chris Butland-Steed announcing he was stepping down shortly before the new series began.
For 10 series, Chris had been entertaining ‘Gogglebox’ viewers as one half of double-act Stephen and Chris, but Channel 4 revealed earlier this week that he wouldn’t be returning as he had chosen “to pursue other opportunities”.
Instead, BFF Stephen Webb passed comment on the week’s telly alongside his mum, who has already appeared in a handful of episodes.
Since ‘Gogglebox’ debuted, a number of its cast members have gone on to achieve success in other areas, most notably Scarlett Moffatt, who has become a TV presenter since her victory in ‘I’m A Celebrity’ in 2016.
Sandi Bogel and George Gilbey have both appeared in ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, while Steph and Dom Parker have also made several media appearances, recently landing their own show on talkRADIO.