Featured Image Credit: Channel 4
Topics: Gogglebox, Channel 4, TV and Film
Joe Harker
By now Gogglebox is one of the most popular offerings on Channel 4, and a staple part of their Friday night programming.
It's also a really handy way to keep up with all the TV you didn't get to see as you can still follow along the major developments if they feature on the show.
This is a process I like to call 'Gogglebox osmosis', where one can absorb details about all sorts of shows they don't watch just by sticking Gogglebox on.
While the concept of people watching people watching TV had some people sceptical at first it's ended up being a very popular format.
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Lots of viewers reckon they'd be great on it, but if you ever ended up being invited onto the show there's some rules you'd need to follow.
The Gogglebox cast members will drink all sorts of things on the show, with brother and sister duo Pete and Sophie notorious for their selection of novelty mugs.
However, you won't usually see them quaffing alcohol.
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It's not really noticed by viewers of the Channel 4 show but you don't often see the stars drinking wine, beer or spirits, or if they secretly are doing so they're doing a very good job of hiding it.
Producers are said to have put the rule in place so that cast members wouldn't get drunk and slur their words on camera.
Tom Malone Jr, who left the show a few years ago, once told The Sun: "We weren’t allowed to order or drink alcohol, because I don’t think the show would work if we were all there slurring our words."
If you like to sit down with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer for an evening of watching the TV then this rule may mean a spot on Gogglebox isn't for you.
The shows on Gogglebox are meant to entertain those watching, and in turn the deal is that those watching are entertaining enough to make for good telly.
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The whole point of watching people watching TV is that it's fun, otherwise Gogglebox would have been the terrible idea some feared it would be before it became immensely popular.
Ex-cast member Paige Deville said the show was a 'pantomime behind the scenes', explaining that she got filmed watching things three times so the crew could get a range of responses and not accidentally miss out on anything.
She said cast members were also under strict instruction to pay attention to what was on the screen and couldn't spend the show looking at their phones.
Paige also said that producers 'prep you to say things' by letting them know there's a really good bit coming up.
It's not all strictness and regulations for the Gogglebox stars, part of the deal besides getting paid a bit of money is another perk.
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The cast members of Gogglebox are paid for being on the show, though according to Pete Sandiford not enough to quit the day job entirely, but they also get treated to a takeaway during filming days.
Some of the homes featured in the show also seem to have plenty of a signature treat, as Pete and his sister Sophie are often seen drinking from their fine collection of novelty mugs, while the Manchester-based Malone family often have some sugary treats out in the living room.