Gogglebox viewers are mourning the loss of fan favourite Mary Cook, who died this weekend at the age of 92.
Mary’s death was confirmed by Channel 4 on Monday, who paid tribute to her “witty and often cheeky” sense of humour.
“We are extremely saddened to share that Gogglebox star Mary Cook passed away in hospital this weekend at the age of 92 with her family by her side,” they said in a statement.
“Beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and dear friend to many, Mary, who worked in the hospitality trade, had been married and widowed twice… Mary will be sorely missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew.”
Mary made her Gogglebox debut in 2016, alongside her close friend Marina Wingrove, with whom she lived in the same retirement village.
Even after their first appearance, the duo immediately became favourites among Gogglebox viewers, who have been paying their respects with some of their favourite clips of Mary in action:
Channel 4 previously shared their own highlights reel of Mary and Marina after their first year with the show, describing the pair as the “ultimate BFFs”:
Due to the pandemic, Mary and Marina were absent from most of Gogglebox’s most recent series, but did return for the series finale, in what would ultimately become Mary’s final appearance on the show.
We’re happy to report that Mary was on fine form in her last episode, though, as evidenced by this clip where she discusses her dream night in a hotel with Bear Grylls:
Revealing how she and Mary ended up being cast in Gogglebox, Marina told the St Monica Trust in 2017: “I went across to catch the bus down to Asda and this young girl comes up to me and says ‘do you ever watch Gogglebox?’ I said, ‘well I have done’ and she said ‘do you want to be on it?’ I thought, ‘I’m game for a laugh, like’.
“Then she said ‘have you got a friend?’ And like that, Mary came round the corner on her scooter.”
Of their time on Gogglebox, Mary added: “We’re just talking to each other and having a laugh, aren’t we? We do say some cheeky things, but they don’t always put them on the show.”