Gogglebox viewers convinced fan-favourites have been replaced as they miss another week on the show

Even though we've already lived through everything they are experiencing and have probably already watched the shows they are tuning into, for some reason, Gogglebox has got the Great British public in a chokehold.

Millions of people tune into the Channel 4 show every Friday night to see our favourite TV critics laugh, cry and scrutinise a whole host of programmes, and we've all grown quite attached to the cast in the process.

So when we spot certain entertaining characters missing from the line-up, it's quite the national emergency.

In Friday's (5 April) episode of Gogglebox, the programme pundits sat down to watch the likes of Gladiators, Our Yorkshire Farm, Casualty and The 1% Club.

As well as finding out that Sophie and Pete weren't allowed to tune into Casualty as kids because their mum deemed it 'too gory', viewers realised that another beloved pair were missing for the second week in a row.

Brits clocked onto the fact that mother-and-son duo Elaine and Seb, from Forest of Dean, haven't been on air for the last two episodes, leaving avid fans of the show concerned for the pair.

Channel 4

Taking to social media, one person speculated: "Ok, Elaine and Seb have definitely been replaced by Teresa and Anita. Two weeks on the trot they haven’t been on. What is going on? Have they actually left the show?"

Another questioned: "Have Seb and Elaine been quietly replaced?"

A third added: "Bring back Elaine and Seb I say."

A fourth chimed in: "I loved Elaine. Please be wrong."

Elaine and Seb first joined the Gogglebox gang last September, when one of the show's legends Stephen Webb announced he and his husband Daniel Lustig-Webb were calling time on their days as TV critics.

Channel 4

Channel 4 announced the couple wanted to 'explore life beyond the sofa'.

Although they initially received a somewhat frosty reception, Elaine and Seb have become much-loved members of the Gogglebox cast who have their feet firmly under the table.

But the addition of Solihull-based Teresa and Anita to the show, who made their debut last month, has only added fuel to the fire of speculation surrounding Elaine and Seb's hiatus from our telly screens.

LADbible has contacted Channel 4 for comment.

The Gogglebox crew were recently rocked by the shock death of former star George Gilbey on 27 March.

His mother Linda, 74, described him as her 'best friend' and said she was 'devastated' by his passing, which is suspected to have been the result of an accidental fall from a height in Shoebury, Essex.

Topics: Channel 4, Gogglebox, Social Media, TV and Film

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_