Channel 4 Gogglebox star Ken Harwood, 77, has died following a short illness, with the show set to air a special tribute
Gogglebox star Ken Harwood has passed away following a brief illness at the age of 77. Show bosses confirmed in an official statement that Ken died last week, adding that a tribute would be paid to him on Friday evening’s programme.
Ken and his wife Anne, from County Durham, had been married for 55 years and were well-loved cast members on Gogglebox from series 15 to 19, which aired on Channel 4 between 2020 and 2022.
In their first appearance on the show, the romantic Ken presented Anne with a bouquet of 50 roses, one for every year they had been together. Anne was deeply touched by the gesture, though she playfully joked that she had nothing to give him in return.
She said: “You have put me to shame now with a card and roses, and I got you nothing. But you have me and that’s all you need.”
Upon joining the show, fans remarked that the couple “fitted in” immediately, sharing their views on television moments such as an ITV news report covering Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relocation to Canada, reports the Mirror.
Anne remarked “She maybe just doesn’t like England or Great Britain,” to which Ken responded: “Why? Nothing wrong with it… except for the weather.”
Born in Consett, County Durham in 1948, Ken served as a postmaster for 30 years before becoming a local councillor, eventually retiring in 2013.
A statement from the show’s producers read: “Ken will be dearly missed by his wife Anne, sons Simon and Ross, daughter-in-law, Elle, grandchildren Freya and Tristram, and all who knew him.
“There will be a tribute to Ken at the end of Channel 4’s episode on Gogglebox tonight.” Earlier this month, former Gogglebox star Josh Tapper made a return to the public spotlight in a remarkably different capacity, having been elected as a Labour councillor nine years after stepping away from the Channel 4 programme.
Josh now serves as councillor for the Underhill ward in the borough of Barnet. Reports indicate that Josh secured 1,128 votes, earning him a seat alongside fellow Labour candidate Zahra Beg. His sister Amy took to social media to proudly announce the news, writing: “My brother is officially a Councillor! So so proud.”
The Gogglebox family has been struck by a number of heartbreaking losses over the years. In March 2024, former cast member George Gilbey passed away aged 40 following a tragic workplace accident.
George had appeared on Gogglebox alongside his mother Linda McGarry and stepfather Pete McGarry from 2013 to 2014, and again from 2016 to 2018. He lost his life in 2024 after falling from a height while at work.
Some years earlier, in 2021, much-loved cast member Mary Cook passed away at the age of 92. She had featured on the programme alongside her friend Marina Wingrove from 2016 to 2021.
Leon and June Bernicoff became immediate fan favourites upon their debut in 2013. June departed the show following the death of 83-year-old Leon in 2017, subsequently authoring a book about her life experiences before her own passing in 2020.
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