Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, are set to appear on a celebrity edition of the Channel 4 program Gogglebox. The special episode is being filmed in support of Stand Up To Cancer.
Joining Burnham and Rotheram on the sofa will be comedian Joe Lycett and the Sugababes singers Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhan Donaghy. A spokesperson for Channel 4 stated that the show would cover a range of topics, with the participants offering "hilarious, honest and often unexpected reactions to the week's biggest television moments as well as poignant stories."
Burnham and Rotheram have a long-standing friendship, having served together as Labour Members of Parliament before transitioning to their current roles as regional mayors in 2017. They have remained allies, co-authoring a book on their political vision for Britain. Rotheram was also a vocal supporter of Burnham's successful campaign to become the Member of Parliament for Makerfield in June.
During the filming of their Gogglebox segment, Rotheram shared an anecdote about a challenging music round from a television quiz show, which he and Burnham found unexpectedly difficult despite their shared interest in music. He also noted a minor disagreement with Burnham over snack preferences while watching television, with Rotheram favoring "cheesy puffs" while Burnham prefers "hard, crunchy stuff."