Reality shows are often accused of having poor aftercare. But one show you probably wouldn't expect to have such accusations thrown at is Gogglebox, the family-friendly show we all love (and sometimes think we could appear on, tbh). But according to new claims, the care behind-the-scenes on the show is severely lacking.
In fact, apparently, it’s one of the reasons why Paige Deville - who appeared on the show with her mum Sally - decided to quit the show last month, saying she could not ‘continue with [the show] due to long hours of filming, restrictiveness, control of our actions and opinions & zero aftercare support’. She also toldBirmingham Live{
Now, Tony Ashby-Steed, the husband of former star Chris Ashby-Steed, has tagged Paige in several tweets, speaking about Chris’ experience on, and after, the show. Chris used to appear on the show with his ex-boyfriend Stephen Webb, until his exit in 2018, but Tony has alleged that production did not speak to Chris after he was ‘forced off’ the show.
Tony wrote: ‘[They] helped him get his mum on the show behind Chris's back without even telling him and then a couple of weeks before filming, Stephen would only film with his mum. They did NOTHING! Chris was devastated then they didn’t contact him once after he was forced off, and I was left to deal with Chris’s shattered mental health.’ (Stephen had previously told The Mirror that he felt suicidal after leaving the show.)
Grazia has contacted a Gogglebox spokesperson for comment - but a spokesperson has previously told The Metro: 'The welfare of contributors – past and present – is of paramount importance and robust protocols are in place to support contributors before, during and after taking part in the series.'
The allegations from former stars of the show follows accusations from staff of ‘inhumane’ working conditions, which were reported to The Guardian last year. One former worker told the publication: ‘People have had enough. 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.’
The production company behind the show - Studio Lambert - said in a statement to the paper: ‘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. We have procedures in place to look into and take appropriate action whenever we receive a complaint from staff.’
READ MORE: Turns Out Pete And Sophie From Gogglebox Have Some Very Famous Relatives
READ MORE: As Celebrity Gogglebox Returns, How The Show Became Vital Lockdown Television