Celebrity Gogglebox fans were absolutely delighted after two much-loved stars made their return to the show. The Channel 4 spin-off returned to screens on Friday (June 18) for a brand new episode, welcoming back firm favourites such as Vernon Kay and Paddy McGuinness, Nick Grimshaw and niece Liv, and Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughan.
There are several new faces joining the new series too, including Olivia Attwood and her mum Jennifer, Harry and Matt (aka Nitro and Legend from Gladiators). Rounding off the line-up are Strictly star George Clark and content creator Max Balegde, comedian and actor Julian Clary, and actor and television presenter Nigel Havers.
For the latest instalment, show favourites Stephen Mangan and his sister Anita were back on the sofa, and fans could not have been more pleased. On X, one viewer declared: "So glad Stephen and Anita are back!" Someone else wrote: "My favourites!" A third chimed in: "Love these two."
Who Are Stephen and Anita Mangan?
Stephen is a presenter and actor who rose to prominence playing Nathan Stern in The Split, alongside Nicola Walker, Fiona Button, Annabel Scholey, and Barry Atsma. Beyond his acting credentials, the star also hosts Artist of the Year on Sky Arts, and previously fronted the ITV game show The Fortune Hotel. Meanwhile, his sister Anita is an artist, illustrator, and designer.
The sibling duo regularly team up on popular children's books, with Anita bringing to life the stories that Stephen pens. In 2023, Anita spoke openly about collaborating with her brother on the books.
When questioned about whose idea it was to join forces, 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 bond, Anita further told the publication: "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 commented: "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.
