Fans of Celebrity Gogglebox were overjoyed as two beloved stars made their comeback to the programme on Friday night. The Channel 4 spin-off returned for a brand new episode on June 18, welcoming back firm favourites including Vernon Kay and Paddy McGuinness, Nick Grimshaw and niece Liv, and Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughan.
New Additions to the Line-Up
The new series also features several fresh faces, such as Olivia Attwood and her mother Jennifer, Harry and Matt (aka Nitro and Legend from Gladiators), Strictly star George Clark and content creator Max Balegde, comedian Julian Clary, and actor Nigel Havers.
Stephen and Anita Mangan Return
For the latest instalment, show favourites Stephen Mangan and his sister Anita were back on the sofa, much to the delight of viewers. On social media, one fan declared: “So glad Stephen and Anita are back!” Another wrote: “My favourites!” while a third chimed in: “Love these two.”
Stephen Mangan is an actor and presenter, best known for playing Nathan Stern in The Split alongside Nicola Walker, Fiona Button, Annabel Scholey, and Barry Atsma. He also hosts Artist of the Year on Sky Arts and fronted the ITV game show The Fortune Hotel. His sister Anita is an artist, illustrator, and designer. The brother-sister duo frequently collaborate on popular children's books, with Anita illustrating stories that Stephen writes.
Working Together on Books
In 2023, Anita opened up about collaborating with her brother. When asked whose idea it was to work together, she told The Bath Magazine: “Mine! I’ve been an illustrator and designer for years and have wanted to work with Stephen for a long time. Stephen is brilliant at writing but can’t draw (his words!), so it’s a great match! I convinced him to consider it. Initially he thought we’d be doing picture books, where I did most of the work … but no, I said ‘40,000 word chapter books please!’ I got my way, mwahahahaha.”
Discussing their relationship, Anita added: “We have always been close and have been making each other laugh since we were children. Now we’re still making each other laugh – and our readers too (hopefully!). I always look forward to reading the first draft of Stephen’s books to see what drawing challenges there will be. I once told him that drawing horses is hard, so he put horses in The Fart that Changed the World, goats in The Unlikely Rise of Harry Sponge, and The Great Reindeer Rescue is full of reindeer.”
Stephen added: “Well, I am the big brother – that’s what we do. I love working with Anita. It’s a treat to see how she illustrates my characters, and she always makes me laugh.”
Celebrity Gogglebox airs every Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.
