Gogglebox’s Giles Wood and Mary Killen have revealed they were able to pay off their mortgage as a result of their eight years on the show.
The pair, beloved by viewers for their unusual observations and dry wit, told BBC Radio Scotland’s The Afternoon Show podcast that their success helped them to cover payments for their rural Wiltshire cottage, dubbed “The Grottage”.
Asked how the hit Channel 4 show had changed their lives, Mr Wood said: “I think we were able to pay off the mortgage.”
He added that the pair “kept quiet, very quiet” about their earnings, saying: “I leave all the paperwork to Mary because she’s more interested in the details of life. I take a broad brush approach to life.”
Mr Wood said “a lot of people come up to us and recognise us”, but added: “I live such a quiet life that I’m constantly surprised that people recognise me. And it’s the same thing as when you used to go into a garage and see yourself on closed-circuit television.
“It’s a constant fascination to watch yourself on television.”
Ms Killen added: “The thing is, it hasn’t really affected us that much because we’re not on social media, so we can’t get trolled or whatever.
“So anyway, but the thing is, when I go out, which I do much more than Giles, people usually come up beaming saying: ‘Are you Mary off Gogglebox? Your husband makes us laugh’.
“And they’re always very pleasant.”
Changing nature of TV
She said she was delighted with the public’s warmth, but the pair are cautious about how long their run will continue given the struggles facing television networks in the modern era.
Mr Wood warned: “Can I just point out one of the things I’ve noticed recently which is that a lot of people, even older people, aren’t watching much terrestrial television.
“They’re all streaming and looking at these different things like Disney and Netflix. And one of the former roles of Gogglebox was to reassure TV viewers that they weren’t missing out on anything.
“Now that no one’s watching terrestrial television, it’ll have to change its role, won’t it?”
Mr Wood also said he rarely interacts with other Gogglebox stars.
