The production company behind Gogglebox has responded to allegations made by staff that there is a toxic work culture behind the scenes of the Channel 4 show.
Studio Lambert has been hit with claims made by former employees to The Guardian that they endured “inhumane” working conditions.
The allegations include excessive working hours with no breaks, as well as alleged instances of staff being shouted at and warnings not to disrupt production by being forced to self-quarantine.
One former employee told The Guardian that working on Gogglebox was “the worst job I ever did”.
“People have had enough,” they told the newspaper. “You don’t turn up to work to be screamed at for 12 hours a day. It was the worst job I ever did. The way that it’s made is inhumane at times.”
Responding to the allegations, Studio Lambert, which also makes The Circle, told The Guardian that all of its shows are produced with Covid-safe protocols.
“Studio Lambert takes the welfare of its teams extremely seriously across all its productions, and has a number of measures in place to encourage people to come forward with any concerns they may have, as well as support systems for a range of issues,” it said.
“We have procedures in place to look into and take appropriate action whenever we receive a complaint from staff.”
Channel 4 has also responded to the claims. A spokesperson said: “Channel 4 has a clear code of conduct which sets out the standards of behaviour it expects from its suppliers and production partners.
“We can’t comment on anonymous allegations and rumours, but we are satisfied Studio Lambert is taking appropriate action to ensure the welfare of its teams and to enforce appropriate standards of behaviour across the shows it makes for us.”
HuffPost UK has contacted Studio Lambert for further comment.
Gogglebox, which began airing in 2013, is currently off air, but is set to return to Channel 4 later this month.