The concept of Gogglebox Australia is based on the 2013 British reality show Gogglebox, in which people watch and comment on the week's popular television shows and films in their own homes.[3] Producers chose ten households, featuring "a cross-section of modern Australian society, from larrikins to gays, from migrant families to battlers, yuppies and empty-nesters", to discuss the shows.[3] The cast are filmed with remote-controlled cameras, while the crew stay out of their way in other parts of the house.[3]
Voiceover artist Jo Van Es narrates the series. She initially had doubts that she would secure the role following her audition, and thought it would be a short contract.[4] Van Es read a sample of the script without viewing the footage, which she described as "a little bit tricky", and she was told to give a largely neutral delivery.[4] She said, "I thought, 'This is a weird concept for a show. It will probably be something I do for a little while and it will disappear into the winds like a lot of jobs do.' But it's just grown and grown."[4] Van Es starts her recordings during Tuesday afternoons and the sessions last for around an hour. When footage of a certain scene is not available to view, the writers and producers explain to Van Es how the tone of the narration should be and what words to emphasise.[4] Over the seasons, Van Es' delivery has added more sass compared to the "straight" narration style of the early seasons.[4]
Ten episodes of Gogglebox Australia were initially commissioned.[3] The first season aired on The LifeStyle Channel (later rebranded Lifestyle) and Network 10 between February and April 2015. At the conclusion of its debut season, the series was renewed for a second season,[5] which premiered on STV on 30 September 2015, and on FTA on 1 October 2015.[6]
On 21 September 2015, the series was renewed for a third season;[7] which premiered on STV on 6 April 2016, and on FTA on 7 April 2016.[8] On 8 February 2016, it was announced a fourth season had been commissioned;[9] which premiered on STV on 24 August 2016, and on FTA on 25 August 2016.[10]
On 4 November 2016, the series was renewed for a fifth season, which premiered on 15 February 2017.[11][12][13] The series was later renewed for a sixth season, which premiered on 4 October 2017.[14]
In November 2017, Foxtel announced that the series was renewed for two further seasons to air in 2018, with each season to increase from eight to 10 episodes.[15] The ninth season premiered on 6 February 2019.[16]
The twelfth season premiered on 26 August 2020[17] and the thirteenth season on 17 February 2021.[18] The fourteenth season premiered on 8 September 2021.[19][20]
In October 2021, Foxtel announced a celebrity one off special of Gogglebox would feature in 2022.[21] On 3 February 2022, Hamish and Zoë Foster Blake were confirmed as the first two cast members of the special.[22][23] On 11 February, the full cast was announced.[24][25] On 25 February 2022, Dylan Alcott and Andy Allen, Tim Campbell and Anthony Callea joined the special.[26] In March 2022, it was announced there would be more Celebrity specials in the future.[27] In September 2023, it was announced that a second Celebrity Gogglebox special had been commissioned to air in the week following the eighteenth series' finale, on 25 October on Lifestyle and on 26 October 2023 on Network 10.[28] On 15 October 2023, the celebrities participating in the second special were announced.[29]
On 25 July 2022, it was announced cast member Di Kershaw had died after a short illness.[30]
Cast
Current
Viewers
Duration
About (Information)
Symon and Adam
Season 1–10, 14–
Best mates and larrikins, the physiotherapy students met on a university pub crawl in Melbourne.[31] In the season 3 premiere, it was announced Symon and Adam had graduated from university and begun their careers. Symon and Adam decided to quit the show at the end of season 10[32] but returned to the show in season 14.[33]
Parents Matt and Kate, and their two daughters Holly and Millie,[35] who live in Toorak,[36] an inner suburb of Melbourne.
Keith and Lee
Season 1–
With two grown-up children, the pair have celebrated 30 years of marriage and live in an outer-northern suburb of Melbourne.[37]
The Silbery family
Season 3–
Three generations of women – great grandma Emily Milligan, mum Kerry, and daughter Isabelle[38] – based in Melbourne.
Emily stepped down from the series in 2023, since the premiere of season 17, after being diagnosed with dementia and moving to an aged care home.[39][40]
Kerry and Isabelle have been joined intermittently by Izzy's daughter Ruby since 2024.[41]
Matty, Sarah Marie and Jad
Season 6–
Lebanese Australians Matty, his wife Sarah Marie, and best friend Jad[42] are from Sydney. Matty is the brother of Dubai-based radio star Kris Fade.[43]
They have been joined intermittently by their sons Malik and Lyon, since 2020 and 2023 respectively.[44]
Best mates and flatmates, Milo and Nic met whilst working in a retail surf store over a decade ago on the Gold Coast.[46]
The Delpechitra family
Season 1–13, 15–
Parents Patrick and Tracey, sons Wendel and Ethan, and daughter Vestal.[47] Patrick and Tracey moved from Sri Lanka to Australia 25 years ago and live in Sydney's west. The Delpechitra family did not appear in season 14 due to COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney[48] but returned in season 15.
Kevin, Bob, Mia & Jared
Season 16–
First Nations Brisbane based family, partners Bob and Kevin and their friends from university Mia and Jared.[49]
Mia, Bree & Lainey
Season 19–
Mia and Bree are sisters with best friend Lainey, from the Shire in southern Sydney.[50]
Former
Viewers
Duration
About (Information)
Mick and Di
Season 1–15
Indigenous art dealers who have been married for nearly 50 years, live in inner-city Sydney.[51]
Di died on 22 July 2022[30] and the season 16 premiere was dedicated to her.[49]
Kaday and Chantel
Season 11–14
Kaday and Chantel met while hanging washing in their shared Sydney Eastern suburbs apartment building.[52] Kaday and Chantel chose not to return to season 15.[53]
The Elias Family
Season 11–13
Parents Les and Danielle, eldest son Jacob, daughter Lily-Rose and youngest daughter Ivy are from the suburbs of Sydney.[52] The Elias family did not appear in season 14 due to Covid-19 restrictions in Sydney[54] and chose not to return for season 15.[53]
The Jackson family
Season 1–10
Parents Stacey and Grant and their six children Corey, Britney, Jesse, Chase, Kane and Nate from Penrith, in western Sydney.
The Sunshine Coast housemates whose place is bustling and chaotic thanks to the small circus of dogs they foster. Angie and Yvie chose to leave the show at the end of season 8 because Angie had left their house in Sydney and couldn't travel regularly to Sydney anymore.[55][56][57]
Wayne and Tom
Season 1–8
The Melbourne couple met at a country dance. They have raised three children together and are engaged. The couple and their dog, Satie, share the lounge together every night. In the season 2 premiere, it was revealed that Satie had died. Wayne and Tom quit the series at the end of season 8.[58]
The Kidd family
Season 1–2
Parents Stuart and Janet, son Michael, his wife Elena, and youngest son Roger from the Blue Mountains. They did not return for season 3 due to availability issues.[59]
Stuart died from suicide in May 2018. The season 8 premiere was dedicated to him.[60]
Zina and Vivian
Season 3–5
Melburnian house-mates who have been friends since high school. They did not return for season 6 as Vivian had moved overseas and Zina was embarking on new adventures.[61]
^Faye was absent for episodes 1 and 2 of season 4 as she was on holiday. Anastasia was joined by her mother Angela in Faye's absence.
^Mick & Di was absent in Episodes 6 and 7 of Season 4 as they were on holiday in Italy.
^Mick and Di were absent from the final 5 episodes of Season 11 due to complications with Covid-19 restrictions.[63][64]
^Lee & Keith were absent for episodes 4 and 5 of season 2 as they were on holiday for their 30th wedding anniversary.
^Lee & Keith were absent from Episode 3 of Season 14 because they were self-isolating due to being Covid-19 close contacts.[65]
^The Dalton Family were absent from Episode 4 of Season 15 as they were self-isolating from Covid-19.
^Kate was absent from Episode 9 of Season 19 as she was on holiday in India.
^Kate was absent from Episodes 7–10 of Season 20 as she was on holiday in South America.
^Angie & Yvie were absent from Episode 6 of Season 6 due to illness.
^Angie & Yvie were absent from Episode 5 of season 8 due to illness.
^Emily was absent from Episode 5 of Season 8 due to illness.
^Emily was absent for the majority of Season 11 due to complications with Covid-19 restrictions.[64]
^Since the premiere of season 17, Emily has not appeared on the series as she stepped down from the show after being diagnosed with dementia.[39][40]
^Matty, Sarah Marie & Jad were absent from Episode 10 of Season 16 due to Matty having contracted an illness.
^Sarah Marie was absent for the majority of Season 17 due to having been pregnant and expecting a second baby.
^Sarah Marie was absent for the majority of Season 18 as she was on maternal leave following the birth of her second child, Lyon; Matty & Jad were absent from Episode 9 of Season 18 due to illness.
^Tim & Leanne were absent from Episode 10 of Season 20.
^Mia was absent for the majority of seasons 19 and 20 as she was on maternal leave following the birth of her child.
Celebrity Gogglebox
This is a list of the celebrities who appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox specials.[24][25][26][29]
On 4 November 2016, a spin-off series titled Common Sense Australia was commissioned, which similar to Gogglebox Australia is a local adaptation of a British series of the same name, and is jointly commissioned by both Foxtel and Network Ten.[11][76]
The sister channel and streaming platform of the UK version of the show, E4 and 4 on Demand, aired the first three series of the show.[77]
