Craig Cash, the narrator of Gogglebox, admitted that continuing the show after Caroline Aherne’s death was ‘bittersweet.’
The 60-year-old has been a regular on the show since his former co-star and original narrator Aherne died in 2016 at the age of 52 from lung cancer.
The two actors worked closely together on The Royle Family, where the late actress played his on-screen lover Denise, and on The Mrs Merton Show.
Sheila in Sky1 comedy After Hours, opposite Cash, was one of her final roles.
As the hit Channel 4 reality series marks its 10th anniversary, Cash stated his role as narrator felt ‘like a gift from Aherne.
‘She’d asked if I could stand in for her since she wasn’t feeling well. ‘When she needed to take time off for treatment, I’d step in as needed,’ he explained.
‘Later, after she died, they asked whether I’d keep doing it. That was almost like a present from Caroline,’ he told Radio Times.
Cash also stated that he could always feel Ahene’s ‘presence’ when he went to record the episodes.
The reality show, which follows committed viewers around the country as they discuss the week’s television, is still going strong.
The popular programme has produced stars such as Scarlett Moffatt and has even had A-listers such as Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran participate in its charity spin-off.
For the show, Gogglebox families must consume 12 hours of television every week.
This is divided into two six-hour sessions, allowing most participants to work their regular jobs while filming.
Speaking about the casting, the show’s creator Stephen Lambert said in 2015: ‘Everybody on Gogglebox has been found and persuaded to be on the show and I think that’s the key to why they are likeable and why the show works, because we get to know these people. We’ve never advertised for people on Gogglebox.’
Gogglebox returns on Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.
Source My Celebrity Life.
