GOGGLEBOX hasn’t had a Scottish family on the show for five years because of “production difficulties”, according to Channel 4’s chief executive.
Alex Mahon was speaking to MPs at the Scottish Affairs Committee today and faced complaints over the lack of Scots families on the popular programme.
The show features a group of regular TV viewers and films them reacting to a range of programming. It has now been running for 17 seasons.
During the session, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross raised the lack of Scots – and asked why there have been none since 2016.
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“We do get complaints about the lack of representation on Gogglebox which is one of our biggest shows,” Mahon told the committee. She described this as a “continued pressure”.
Ross suggested he and his wife could be cast members, but after that prompted laughter from colleagues said that probably wasn’t a “viable option”.
Mahon then explained: “It would be better to have a Scottish family, I know from previously investigating, we haven’t yet both found a family and superseded our production difficulties on it.
“But it is a goal for us to do that and I think you are right to flag there is a lack of representation on that show.”
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Channel 4 commissioning editor Deborah Dunnett went on to explain that part of the problem was related to the “really fast turn around” on the show.
Ross however said “that sounds like complete rubbish”.
He told the TV executives: “You have spent an hour today so far speaking about how great Channel 4 is because you get to all most remote parts of Scotland.
“Yet we can’t get clips to a family in Glasgow or Edinburgh or Perth or Moray or anywhere like that.
“It’s just crazy.”
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