Calum, a cast member of the long-running British television program Gogglebox, has announced his departure from the show. He is emigrating to Australia with his partner, a move that necessitates his exit from the program. Calum joined Gogglebox last September alongside his friend Jake.
His place on the sofa will be taken by Louis, a 28-year-old childhood friend of Jake's. Louis expressed enthusiasm for joining the show, stating, "Gogglebox has always been a bit of a comfort show for me, so when the opportunity came up to join one of my best mates on the sofa, I thought why not! I’m most looking forward to sitting down together, having a laugh and doing what we do anyway!"
Calum shared his mixed feelings about leaving the show, remarking, "I am very far away from Scotland right now, and that’s because me and my partner have moved to Australia… that means a few things, the most obvious one being that unfortunately I am leaving the show." He added, "I had the most wonderful time, and I can’t sing the praises enough of everyone on and off camera, the entire Gogglebox family, so it’s very bittersweet to be leaving."
Calum also confirmed that his friendship with Jake remains strong and that he suggested Louis join Jake on the show. "The other important thing to mention is that Jake and I are still wonderful pals, and we’ve asked our friend Louis to keep Jake company on the sofa, as he gets a bit lonely sometimes. You’re in very good hands with the two of them," Calum said. He concluded by saying, "I am very, very proud to have been part of the Gogglebox family, but for now I will be watching alongside all of you from my sofa in Australia!"
This development follows Gogglebox's recent win in the Factual Entertainment category at the National Television Awards earlier this week. The show also introduced two new households for its 28th series, which began airing last week. These new additions include brothers Steve and Mark from Newcastle, and mother and son Sandy and Max from London. Max is noted as the first person with Down's syndrome to be featured on the program. Sandy expressed her hopes that Max's participation would demonstrate that individuals with learning disabilities can be intelligent, opinionated, and humorous. Max himself commented on his role, saying, "I’m much funnier than my mum, so that’s good. I’m all about spreading the love and showing other learning-disabled people what we can achieve. And my mum is my greatest supporter."