EXCLUSIVE: Stephen Webb reveals how much money he REALLY made from Gogglebox – and takes SCATHING swipe at Channel 4 co-star

Stephen Webb has revealed that he was ‘extremely well paid’ during his stint on hit Channel 4 show Gogglebox.

The 54-year-old star took part in the Channel 4 show – where people across the UK react to some of the country’s trending programmes, as well as movies – from 2013 until 2023, and because sitting on the sofa and watching shows was ‘very profitable’ for him, Stephen opened up “two salons” off the back of it.

‘I opened up two salons off the back of it. It’s not just what you get paid, it’s all the endorsements as well. It was very profitable.’

Stephen was one of the original stars of Gogglebox, and he did the show with his former partner, Christopher Steed, from 2013 until they split in 2017.

Christopher was replaced by Stephen’s late mum, Pat Webb – who died following a long illness at the start of 2024 – from 2017 until 2018.

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Stephen Webb has revealed he was ‘extremely well paid’ during his stint on hit Channel 4 show Gogglebox

Then, Stephen’s ex-husband Daniel Lustig-Webb joined him on Gogglebox in 2019, until the former couple – who split in 2024 – decided to leave the programme in 2023.

And Stephen said earning a lot of money for just watching TV while eating a takeaway was a ‘dream’.

He said: ‘It’s the easiest job in the world.

‘We would get home from work and basically, just come in, the cameras and everything will be already rigged up. Just turn it all on. Sit down, order a takeaway, and crack on!

‘I mean, I’m never going to get paid to sit and eat pizza and watch TV at home ever again, am I? It was the dream.’

Fellow former Gogglebox star Reverend Kate Bottley and her husband Graham joined the show in 2014, but they quit in 2016 because they found the filming process ‘overwhelming’.

And Kate, 50, previously claimed on an episode of the Walking the Dog with Emily Dean podcast, that she and Graham saw ‘very little’ money that they earned doing the programme because she had to spend it on ‘electricity, internet and food’ for the crew.

Reacting to her pay claim, Stephen quipped: ‘Well, maybe if Kate had delivered a bit more drama, a bit more fun…’

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Steven hit out at former show star Kate, who previously revealed she made ‘very little’ money that they earned doing the programme because she had to spend it on the crew

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Kate said the modest fee was swallowed up by hidden costs, and their family meal times disrupted by filming

Stephen – who took part in E4’s Celebs Go Dating in 2024 – could not return to Gogglebox as the programme enforces a strict ‘celebrity rule’, which bans the participants from becoming celebrities on other TV shows while filming to maintain its everyday, authentic feel.

However, he teased that he may be up for doing Celebrity Gogglebox in the future.

Speaking of the rule, Stephen said: ‘I think the whole premise of the show is that it’s normal people.

‘And I think when you step outside of that and into the realms of celebrity, it changes it.’

Hinting at possibly doing Celebrity Gogglebox, he continued: ‘Unless they’ll have me back for the celebrity version, I think it’d be less authentic.

‘And, you know, I did it for 10 years, I absolutely loved it. And I just think, you know what, I bailed out on the 10th anniversary, someone else could have my space.’

Stephen was speaking on behalf of Centre for Sight, the UK’s leading, trusted centre of excellence for advanced eye care, innovation and life-changing results.

He was treated by Mr. Sheraz Daya for Laser Lens Replacement, also known as RLE, Refractive Lens Exchange, which starts from £3,497 per eye.

It comes after Church of England vicar Kate hit out that signing up for the show ended up damaging her family’s home life, as the modest fee was swallowed up by hidden costs, and their family meal times disrupted by filming.

Kate revealed during her podcast appearance: ‘I wish I’d known how much it took over our life for two and a half years. It’s reality TV, it’s by its nature consensual exploitation.’

The mother-of-two, who originally wanted to take part in a bid to help change how people of faith were seen on screen, also hit out that filming was ‘quite intrusive’.

Speaking of her son Arthur, who she described as on the ‘autistic spectrum’ and daughter Ruby, Kate explained how her kids would hide in their rooms twice a week while the production crew set up in the home.

She continued: ‘My kids spent two-and-a-half years sat in their bedrooms every Tuesday and Thursday night or whatever nights they came to film.

‘My kids didn’t have friends round for a lot [of the time], didn’t have help with their homework. Things like that.’

Walking away from the show, Kate had to come up with a cover story to break the contractual clauses of her time with Channel 4.

She revealed: ‘It so happened that it came around the time that Ruby was doing her GCSEs so the excuse we gave was, “We’re going to take some time away while she does her exams.” But we were just a bit overwhelmed.’