Anyone who knows me well, will know what a massive TV nerd I am. I love nothing more than to spend a cosy evening in, wrapped up in a blanket in front of some trashy TV.
One of my favourite programs right now is Channel 4’s Gogglebox. I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of watching other people watch TV?!
The thing I love most about Gogglebox is how it represents such a diverse selection of people across the UK. However I believe there is still a gap in the market, as there is yet to be a group of disabled friends on the show, specifically wheelchair users.
None of the current cast are also based from Cornwall – and we need some pasties on primetime!
With this in mind, I spoke with my friends Mark & James (who were also keen!) and I started to hatch a plan. After doing some online research I found out the name of the production company and I wrote them a letter.
A couple of weeks later I get a call from one of the casting team. She said that she loved my letter but unfortunately they are not recruiting for the show at the moment. I was also informed that you cannot directly apply for the show – as you have to be “found” or “scouted” (which is near enough impossible in little ol’ Cornwall).
After a long and interesting chat, the lady was kind enough to say that she’d pass my details on, but couldn’t promise anything. By this point I’m pinching myself because I genuinely never even expected a response.
A few more weeks passed and I received an email from one of the producers saying that they were interested in arranging a Skype interview with me and my friends – Gogglebox sofa style!
We honestly couldn’t believe we had been given this opportunity! We knew we had this one chance to smash it, seeing as they don’t usually accept direct applications.
Interview day came and I can honestly say it was one of the most surreal/best experiences I’ve ever had. I’d say it was more of an audition than an interview. We were being filmed and given prompts/news stories to discuss whilst they watched via Skype.
After the interview, the casting team informed us that they would have to go away and edit the footage to then present to their boss.
I will never forget that night and I’m so glad I got to share it with two of my best mates. We went out for a curry to celebrate afterwards and I nearly fell out of my chair… but that’s a whole other story!
A few weeks later we were lucky enough to be offered a second interview! We were absolutely buzzing and felt much more relaxed and confident this time. Later that week we were sadly informed that we hadn’t made the cut this time. The casting for Gogglebox is described as “ruthless”, so the fact we had 2 interviews was pretty incredible!
We thought that was it… until I received an unexpected message from the casting producer a few weeks later, asking me to give him a call. What happened next is pretty #savage….
He basically said they had been reviewing the footage again and were interested in me as an individual. They described me as having the “gogglebox warmth” – and asked if I’d be interested in auditioning with my family instead.
Luckily my friends were totally cool with this and I managed to persuade my parents to get involved for a laugh. Long story short we eventually didn’t get the job (again) – but on a positive note, we were told that they want to keep us on file for future productions.
In all honestly I never expected to get this far and I’m so excited to have even had the opportunity. Unfortunately I won’t be appearing on your screens anytime soon, but I’ve not given up hope just yet – watch this space!