Joanna Lumley is to star in 'Celebrity Gogglebox'.
Joanna Lumley is to star in Celebrity Gogglebox
The 76-year-old actress will join her pal Gyles Brandreth in the next series of the Channel 4 show, which returns next month, after his friend Dame Maureen Lipman quit the programme.
'Absolutely Fabulous' star Joanna is quoted by the Daily Mirror newspaper as saying: "It is a huge honour and crosses something off my long bucket list."
Gyles said: "The last time we watched the box together she fell asleep. I'm hoping that doesn't happen for 'Gogglebox'."
Before he was partnered alongside Maureen on the show, Gyles sat alongside Dame Sheila Hancock in 2019.
Both of his companions were made dames after appearing on 'Celebrity Gogglebox', and former politician Gyles has his theory as to why.
He said: "My wife thinks that's because the queen must watch 'Gogglebox' and felt Sheila and Maureen deserved a reward for sitting on the sofa next to me."
In March, Maureen ruled out a return to ‘Celebrity Gogglebox’.
She said at the time: "I went in imagining that they wanted me for my wit and my brain. Of course, they just want to show you willies and for you to be shocked.
"Honestly, we were really funny together, but none of that was used. And if they don't want to use what we gave them, f*** them.
"It is from my point of view. I'm sure they'll put someone else with Gyles."
Gyles previously backed Maureen's decision to depart the show, and agreed the show's producers did not appreciate her sense of humour.
He said: "Some of the things that Maureen has said are Oscar-winning funny. But what do they use? Us yawning!"
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