Celebrity Gogglebox

Denise Van Outen (Contributor)

Born: May 27, 1974 in Basildon, Essex

Best Known For: The Big Breakfast.

Early-life: Born Denise Kathleen Outen on May 27, 1974, in Basildon, Essex. A former child actress, van Outen went to a local dance school. After doing some modelling she began auditioning for dramas, but found it difficult to continue with her education. She enrolled at theatre school and, because her parents couldn't afford the fees, paid for it herself by appearing in small roles on TV and stage.

Career: Van Outen became a household name and lads mag favourite thanks to spells on The Big Breakfast and sitcom Babes in the Wood. Films such as Tube Tales and Love, Honour and Obey met with a lukewarm reception. Her stage work has been better received. She wowed the critics with her performance in Chicago, both in London and New York. Other West End roles include Tell Me on a Sunday, Rent Remixed, and Legally Blonde. She co-hosted Grease: You're the One that I Want for NBC in America in 2007, but was forced to take elocution lessons because the American audience did not warm to her Essex accent. Van Outen had better luck when she appeared on the panel of BBC1's Any Dream Will Do! which was casting Joseph in a new production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She reunited with former Big Breakfast colleague Johnny Vaughan in 2008 as a co-host of the breakfast show on Capital Radio, but she quit a few months later half-way through her contract. In 2012, she partnered with professional dancer James Jordan on Strictly Come Dancing.

Quote: "A lot of people probably think that I am outrageous in my ways but it's just fun. I often feel like a gay man trapped in a woman's body."

Trivia: She has designed fashion collections for the website, Very.

Zoe Ball (Contributor)

Born: November 23, 1970 in Blackpool

Best Known For: Presenting the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, and It Takes Two.

Early-life: Zoe Louise Ball was born in Blackpool on November 23, 1970, the daughter of TV presenter Johnny Ball. She began her TV career as a runner at Granada Television. She was also a researcher for BSkyB quiz shows. She became a regular host for The Ozone, which was the music program for CBBC. The show was even voted Best Music Show by Smash Hits and brought her to widespread attention.

Career: She co-presented Saturday morning children's magazine Live & Kicking alongside Jamie Theakston from 1996 to 1999. She landed a co-hosting gig on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in October 1997 with Kevin Greening. She eventually became the sole host, making her the first female DJ to do so. She also continued her onscreen partnership with Jamie Theakston for four series of The Priory on Channel 4. After a string of presenting roles and various radio jobs, she was a contestant in series three of Strictly Come Dancing. Since then, she has presented Soapstar Superstar, talent search Grease is the Word, Strictly Come Dancing's sister show It Takes Two, and The Voice's companion show, The Voice: Louder on Two. She also announced that Peter Capaldi would be taking over from Matt Smith in Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor.

Quote: "After becoming a mum, I'm much more of a morning person these days... I promise!"

Trivia: Wed DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, in 1999. They have a son, Woody, and daughter, Nelly.

Nick Grimshaw (Contributor)

Born: August 14, 1984 in Oldham

Best Known For: Being a Radio 1 DJ and a judge on The X Factor.

Early-life: Born Nicholas Peter Grimshaw in Oldham on August 14, 1984. He studied Communication and Media Studies at the University of Liverpool. In 2007 he joined Radio 1 to present the youth strand Switch. From August 2008 to May 2009, he hosted Radio 1's Weekend Breakfast Show, and went on to present the 10pm-midnight slot on the station from June 2009.

Career: Grimshaw's big break came in July 2012 when it was announced he would be replacing Chris Moyles as host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. On TV, Grimshaw has hosted Freshly Squeezed, Style the Nation and The Music Show on Channel 4. In 2013, he filmed cameo roles in EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Home and Away. He has appeared as a guest on 8 Out of 10 Cats and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In 2015, he became a judge on The X Factor.

Quote: "I can't bear the early mornings."

Trivia: In 2014, Grimshaw completed a 12-hour bike ride to raise money for Sport Relief.

Mo Gilligan (Contributor)

Joe Swash (Contributor)

Born: January 20, 1982 in Islington, London

Best Known For: His work in EastEnders.

Early-life: Born in 1982, Swash studied at Highbury Grove School in Islington, and attended Anna Scher Theatre School on the advice of his mother's friend, actress Linda Robson. Fellow attendees at the time were his future EastEnders co-stars Natalie Cassidy, James Alexandrou and Brooke Kinsella. When Swash was seven, he made his first TV appearance in an Andrex advertisement, and at the age of 11 he was cast in the movie The Adventures of Pinocchio, with Dawn French and Griff Rhys Jones.

Career: Swash was about to give up on the idea of becoming an actor when he won a role in BBC's EastEnders. He was cast as Mickey Miller and made his first appearance in EastEnders in April 2003 as a recurring character. In November 2008, Swash was crowned King of the Jungle after winning the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! He has presented a number of shows for ITV2, including Minute to Win It and Fake Reaction. Other projects include Hole in the Wall, Gimme a Break and Celebrity Juice.

Quote: "I fancied being a fireman because I wanted to help people and because I didn't want to do a 9-5 job. Plus I know the ladies like the uniforms. But EastEnders called and offered me the part of Mickey, and I haven't looked back since."

Trivia: He has performed in a number of pantos.

Stacey Solomon (Contributor)

Born: October 04, 1989 in Dagenham

Best Known For: Being an X Factor finalist and a TV presenter.

Early-life: Stacey Chanelle Charlene Solomon was born in Dagenham on October 4, 1989 to David and Fiona. Her parents divorced when she was nine. Stacey came to prominence in 2009 when she auditioned for the sixth series of The X Factor. She made it into the live part of the competition and ended up finishing third, behind Olly Murs and Joe McElderry.

Career: Solomon released her debut single, Driving Home for Christmas, in 2011 and it reached number 27 in the charts. Away from singing, Solomon won the tenth series of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!, presented Sing If You Can on ITV and appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Mastermind, with The Inbetweeners as her chosen specialist subject. In early 2015, she participated in Channel 4 reality series The Jump.

Quote: "You have to stay confident and remember nobody's perfect. It's about getting on with what life throws at you. It's certainly too short to waste it being miserable or taking yourself too seriously."

Trivia: She turned down the chance to appear on The Only Way Is Essex.

Johnny Vegas (Contributor)

Born: September 11, 1971 in St Helens, Lancashire

Best Known For: His hoarse voice.

Early-life: Born Michael Joseph Pennington in St Helens, Lancashire, on September 11, 1971, he's the youngest of four children. As a child, he wanted to be a priest, and joined a seminary at the age of 11, but left after four terms. He then attended an all-boys grammar school before studying art and ceramics at Middlesex University. Following his graduation, he worked in a bar and went through periods of being unemployed before trying comedy, performing as the character of failed potter and disillusioned entertainer Johnny Vegas.

Career: Vegas's big break came in 1997 when he was nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival. He made his TV debut in the one-off Johnny Vegas TV Show the following year. In 2001, he landed a role in the Paul Whitehouse sitcom Happiness, which won him the Best Newcomer trophies at the Royal Television Society and British Comedy Awards, although it was arguably his appearance in a series of cult adverts with a sock monkey for ITV Digital that made him a household name. Since then, he's been a regular panellist on Shooting Stars, acted in series Tipping the Velvet, Bleak House, Dead Man Weds, Ideal, Massive, Benidorm, Still Open All Hours and presented his own show, 18 Stone of Idiot. He was also in Johnny Depp film The Libertine and The Harry Hill Movie.

Quote: "This is a good job that gives us a good life, you can't expect to turn that off when it suits you."

Trivia: Vegas released an autobiography, Becoming Johnny Vegas, in 2013.

Emilia Fox (Contributor)

Born: July 31, 1974 in London

Best Known For: Silent Witness.

Early-life: Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox was born on July 31, 1974, in London, to thespians Edward Fox and Joanna David. With so many relatives involved in the entertainment industry, including her uncles James and Robert, and grandmother Angela, Emilia naturally gravitated towards an acting career and made her screen debut in the acclaimed TV version of Pride and Prejudice alongside Colin Firth and her mother Joanna while still a student at Oxford University. Her younger brother, Freddie, has also decided to follow the family tradition. Emilia is also musical - she plays the cello, piano and trumpet.

Career: Since leaving full-time education, Fox has worked consistently on TV, but still found time to tread the boards and appear in movies. Period dramas Rebecca, The Round Tower and the aforementioned Pride and Prejudice brought her fame, but it was the remake of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) in 2000 that made her a household name. In 2002 she starred in Roman Polanski's Oscar-winning The Pianist and has more recently worked with Britain's acting elite in Gunpowder, Treason & Plot, The Virgin Queen, Marple: The Moving Finger, Born Equal, Upstairs Downstairs and Fallen Angel. In 2004 she took over from Amanda Burton as the lead actress in Silent Witness, and has been playing forensic pathologist Nikki Alexander ever since.

Quote: On attending film premieres: "If you want to see that film, then great, but don't do it just to have your photo taken because that's silly, and inevitably you get hurt by it. People start picking up on things about your life that are irrelevant."

Trivia: She is a patron of the environmental and human rights charity the Environmental Justice Foundation.

Joanna David (Contributor)

Eamonn Holmes (Contributor)

Born: December 03, 1959 in Belfast

Best Known For: His time as a host on GMTV

Early-life: Born December 3, 1959, in Belfast. He grew up during the height of The Troubles with his father, Leonard, a master carpet-fitter, and his mother Josephine, who stayed at home to look after Eamonn and his four brothers. He was a TV addict as a child and at grammar school his ambition to be a TV journalist was seen as unconventional. Instead, he was urged to go for medicine, law, or the church.

Career: After attending St Malachy's College in Northern Ireland, his first job was on a building magazine. He got his break at 21 on an Ulster news programme - as the youngest-ever anchorman. BBC One phone-in show Open Air followed in 1986, and from there he moved to GMTV, where he spent 12 years. He now hosts Sky News's Sunrise four days a week, and presents This Morning with his wife Ruth Langsford on Fridays; they also co-present the game show Gift Wrapped. Has also hosted the National Lottery, The Feelgood Factor, Sporting Greats, Pass the Buck, Hard Spell and Sudo-Q, as well as numerous sports-related shows.

Quote: "I have learned the most important thing you can give people in life is time."

Trivia: Away from work, he is a dedicated supporter of Manchester United.

Ruth Langsford (Contributor)

Born: March 17, 1960 in Singapore

Best Known For: Co-presenting This Morning.

Early-life: Born in Singapore on March 17, 1960, Ruth travelled a lot when she was young as her father was in the Army. After leaving school, she got a job in one of the offices at Westward Television and at the age of 22, she was offered the chance to appear on screen.

Career: Langsford began her TV presenting career as a continuity announcer and newscaster with ITV regional station Television South West (TSW). She left when Westcountry Television took over the franchise in 1993. Since then, she has been a host on Loose Women, covered for Lorraine Kelly on GMTV and made a number of guest appearances on panel and comedy shows. In 2000, she began co-presenting This Morning alongside her husband, Eamonn Holmes, on Fridays and during the summer school holidays. Away from presenting, she is a columnist for Woman magazine and Tesco Magazine.

Quote: On working with Eamonn: "Occasionally you do forget that you're on TV. You might give away more than you wanted to about your private life."

Trivia: Wed Holmes in 2010. They have a son, Jack. Langsford is a keen gardener and seamstress.

Laura Whitmore (Contributor)

Born: May 04, 1985 in Bray, Co Wicklow

Best Known For: Hosting MTV news bulletins and co-hosting I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! NOW!

Early-life: Laura was born in Bray, Co Wicklow, on May 4, 1985. She studied journalism at Dublin City University and spent a year abroad at Boston University. In 2008, Laura began hosting news bulletins for MTV.

Career: Whitmore begin co-hosting I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! NOW! in 2011. In February 2015, she announced that she was leaving MTV after seven years presenting on the channel.

Quote: "I would never put my face to anything that I didn't care about or couldn't talk about."

Trivia: In 2009, Whitmore launched a clothing range for Irish chain A Wear.

Iain Stirling (Contributor)

Martin Kemp (Contributor)

Born: October 10, 1961 in Islington, London

Best Known For: Playing Steve Owen in EastEnders and being the bass guitarist in Spandau Ballet.

Early-life: Martin John Kemp was born in Islington, London, on October 10, 1961. He was a shy child until, at the age of seven, his mother started taking him and older brother Gary to acting classes run by Anna Scher, which boosted his confidence. By the time he was 10 he'd appeared in Jackanory, Rumpole Of The Bailey, and Dixon Of Dock Green. He left school at 16 and planned to become a printer, but gave up an apprenticeship to join brother Gary's band The Gentry, who were later renamed Spandau Ballet.

Career: Spandau Ballet became hugely successful, scoring numerous hits. When they split in 1990, Martin and Gary returned to acting, and surprised many critics with their performances as gangster twins Ronnie and Reggie in The Krays. Martin then tried his luck in Hollywood, but his career was put on hold in 1995 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. In 1998, fully recovered, he accepted the role of Steve Owen in EastEnders, but quit four years later. He has since appeared in Daddy's Girl, Serious and Organised, Family, Brides in the Bath, Love Lies Bleeding and Waterloo Road. Spandau Ballet reformed in 2009 and Kemp came third in Celebrity Big Brother in 2012. He's also turned to directing with the film Stalker.

Quote: "I don't agree with all those entertainers that say they would never let their children anywhere near entertainment. I've had such a fantastic time in this business that I would never stop them doing it."

Roman Kemp (Contributor)

Maureen Lipman (Contributor)

Born: May 10, 1946 in Hull

Best Known For: Over 30 years of film and TV roles.

Early-life: Born Maureen Diane Lipman on May 10, 1946 into a Jewish family in Hull. Her father was a tailor who had his own business in the town. Maureen claims her first performances involved doing Alma Cogan impersonations at home. She was eventually pressed into acting by her mother Zelma, who used to take her to pantomimes and then push her onto the stage. She later studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Career: Lipman's first professional stage work came at the Palace Theatre in Watford. She made her film debut in Up the Junction in 1967 before appearing in Regan, a TV movie that acted as the pilot for The Sweeney. She became a household name with the cult sitcom Agony in 1979. However, attempts to revive the show in 1995 failed. Lipman starred in a series of successful adverts for British Telecom and received rave reviews for her stage performances in Re-Joyce, and Oklahoma! (with the then unknown Hugh Jackman). Since then, she has appeared in Roman Polanski's The Pianist, Coronation Street, Jonathan Creek, Doctor Who, Skins, Casualty, Holby City and Ladies of Letters. She has written several autobiographical books, including How Was It for You? and Something to Fall Back On.

Quote: "I behave really very childishly and like a teenager. I am always on a high and largely neurotic."

Trivia: Lipman was married to writer Jack Rosenthal from 1973 until his death in 2004. They had two children, Adam and Amy. Not one to suffer fools, she once claimed she'd like to pour a glass of wine over critic Charles Spencer's head after he wrote a bad review of her performance in a production of A Little Night Music.

Gyles Brandreth (Contributor)

Susanna Reid (Contributor)

Born: December 10, 1970 in Croydon

Best Known For: Presenting breakfast TV.

Early-life: Born in Croydon on December 10, 1970, Susanna studied politics, philosophy and law at the University of Bristol. She followed this up with a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the Cardiff School of Journalism.

Career: Reid began her career at BBC Radio Bristol before moving to BBC Radio 5 Live as a reporter and producer. She went on to join BBC News 24 and became a reporter for Breakfast News before rejoining BBC News 24 as a presenter. For two series, she hosted Sunday Morning Live, a religious and currents affairs discussion programme on BBC One. She presented Breakfast between 2010 and 2014, hosted the BBC's coverage of the Oscars from Los Angeles, and stood in for Andrew Marr on The Andrew Marr Show. In 2013, she finished third in Strictly Come Dancing. In early 2014, Reid made the switch to ITV and began co-presenting Good Morning Britain.

Quote: "People are always going to talk about what women wear on TV. It's a fact of life."

Trivia: In 2011, Reid took part in a Strictly Come Dancing competition as part of Children in Need along with three other BBC newsreaders.

Rob Rinder (Contributor)

Rylan (Contributor)

Tania Alexander (Executive producer)

11:00 pm - 12:05 am, Saturday, December 27 on E4 +1 (30)

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Season 2, Episode 5

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