Gogglebox film crew ban surprising thing from living rooms during filming

Gogglebox has been a runaway hit since it first hit our screens in 2013, and now on its 24th series, it is showing no signs of slowing down. Our favourite Channel 4 stars are recorded in their humble living rooms each week, but did you know that there’s a surprising thing that is banned during the filming?

The crew do not allow themselves to be in the room while the stars are watching their televisions, and that’s so that their reactions are more authentic, without someone watching over them. Instead, the production crew is banished to the kitchen or a spare room to orchestrate from there and the stars are captured with two remote cameras called “hot heads”.  

Producer Tania Alexander once told Vice: “We rig a mini gallery, which is set up in a kitchen or bedroom. There’s a small team in the field – a producer, a camera person, and a sound person and a logger – and those four people are squashed in whatever room is available for the entire shoot. It’s like a mini TV studio.”

She continued: “There’s nobody ever in the room with the families. For the show we mainly stay on the wide angle, but the close-up shot is often used to capture an eye roll or facial expression that we’ll use in the edit for comedy punctuation.”

When Laura Whitmore was filming Celebrity Gogglebox, she even shared a look at the two cameras that the cast see when they are watching the TV.

 “Being watched being filmed watching telly,” Laura penned, accompanied by a mind-blown emoji. 

While we get to admire the cast’s lounges on a weekly basis, the other rooms in their houses are usually out of bounds for the cameras. However, social media posts often give us an insight into their other rooms. We loved checking out Ellie Warner’s stylish dining room and Georgia Bell’s gorgeous nursery for her son Hugh.

© Instagram

Relocation rumours

The homes of the Gogglebox stars become familiar to viewers, but there is a chance that change could be afoot for some of the cast. Giles Wood and Mary Killen have spoken about a potential move out of their cottage. In their book Country Life, the pair made a surprising revelation that after 30 years in their quirky property, they are tired of the lack of transport and the local shops and are considering a move to London.

© Jenny Newby and Lee Riley/Instagram

Meanwhile, Lee Riley, who appears on the show with best friend Jenny Newby, appears to have long-term living plans that aren’t in his beloved caravan. His husband Steve Mail calls their Cyprus residence their “forever home” on Instagram, perhaps hinting that settling in the sunshine could be on the cards one day.