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.

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.

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.

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.

Nicola Adams (Contributor)

Harry Redknapp (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)

KSI (Contributor)

S-X (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.

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)

Shaun Ryder (Contributor)

Bez (Contributor)

Jamie Theakston (Contributor)

Born: December 21, 1970 in Sussex

Best Known For: Presenting TV shows and his headline-making love life.

Early-life: Jamie Andrew Theakston was born on December 21, 1970, in Sussex. He grew up in a happy middle-class household. His father was in computers, and worked as a director for the BBC. His mum runs a tearoom. A natural exhibitionist, he has described himself as a noisy kid who demanded to be the centre of attention. Theakston cut his acting teeth at the National Youth Theatre, before then working in Christie's auction house between leaving school and doing a business degree at North London Polytechnic.

Career: Famously entered a BBC's Clothes Show contest to find a new model. He did well, and was in good company: Cat Deeley was also in the competition. Later, to help out a friend, he started doing traffic reports on BBC local radio station GLR. Subsequently, he moved to Radio 5 Live where he was noticed by a producer of TV show The O-Zone. Things took off after he teamed up with Zoë Ball, first on Live & Kicking and then on The Priory. Theakston decided to return to acting, and appeared in West End hits Art, and Home and Beauty. Other TV jobs include an episode of Murder in Mind, the last TV drama to feature Adam Faith, sitcom Mad About Alice, A Question of Pop, and The Games. He reunited with Zoë Ball in 2009 to front Channel 5 game show Britain's Best Brain. He initially presented some music shows on Radio 1 before fronting the Heart FM breakfast show, where he has been at the microphone since 2005.

Quote: On working with Zoë Ball: "I've worked with lots of other female co-hosts and I guess you always measure them against the first one you worked with."

Trivia: He enjoys fencing and cricket. He supports Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ashley Roberts (Contributor)

Born: September 14, 1981 in Phoenix, Arizona

Best Known For: The Pussycat Dolls and I'm a Celebrity.

Early-life: Ashley Maria Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 14, 1981. She began dancing and singing at a young age. Her father was once a drummer with the Mamas & Papas. During her school summer holidays, she travelled to California to learn about modern dance. After leaving school, she moved to Los Angeles and appeared in a number of TV commercials and music videos for the likes of Josh Groban, Pink and Counting Crows.

Career: Within six months of moving permanently to California, Roberts joined the Pussycat Dolls when they were a burlesque group. She went on to join the musical version of the Pussycat Dolls alongside Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton, Jessica Sutta and Kimberly Wyatt. The group had a number of hit singles, including Don't Cha, Stickwitu and When I Grow Up. She left the Dolls in 2010 to start recording her own music. In 2012, she finished second on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! She was a member of the ice panel for the final two series of Dancing on Ice. Her debut solo album, Butterfly Effect, was released in September 2014. In early 2015, she was a contestant on Channel 4 reality series The Jump.

Quote: "I'm claustrophobic. I'm not a fan of bugs, rodents, snakes, creepy crawly things at all. I'm not a fan of the dark."

Trivia: Roberts has launched her own lingerie line in Sydney.

Nigel Havers (Contributor)

Born: November 06, 1949 in London

Best Known For: Playing lovable cads.

Early-life: Nigel Allan Havers was born on November 6, 1949, in London. He is the son of barrister Michael, Lord Havers, who became famous for successfully defending Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1967 after their arrest on drugs charges. Lord Havers was also chief prosecutor during the Yorkshire Ripper trial and was briefly the Lord Chancellor in 1987. Nigel went to the Arts Educational School before deciding to become an actor; his older brother, Philip, followed in their father's footsteps by becoming a QC.

Career: Havers' first acting job was on the Mrs Dale's Diary radio series. He also spent time with the Prospect Theatre Company. During a lean period he became a wine merchant, but things picked up after an appearance in Upstairs, Downstairs. He's since cropped up in the likes of Chariots of Fire (for which he received a Bafta nomination), Pennies from Heaven, Tales of the Unexpected and A Passage to India. The sitcom Don't Wait Up was a huge hit, and was followed by The Charmer. More recently he's featured in The Sarah Jane Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Downton Abbey and I'm A Celebrity Get… Me Out of Here! Havers walked out of the latter after a week in the jungle. He played the role of Lewis Archer in Coronation Street in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

Quote: "I am always cheerful and optimistic. If I am ever turned down after an audition, I allow myself just 24 hours to sulk, and then I forget about it, smile, and move on."

Trivia: He is a regular on the pantomime circuit. He is also the godfather of comedian Jack Whitehall.

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.

Beverley Dixon (Contributor)

Jools Holland (Contributor)

Best Known For: His brilliant musicianship.

Early-life: Born Julian Miles Holland on January 24, 1958, in Blackheath, London. He has twin younger brothers, Richard and Christopher. He comes from a working-class background; his father, Derek, had stints as a mini cab driver and chef, but was keen on art, music and literature. Jools' parents split when he was 11, and he spent time living with his maternal grandparents, who let him play their piano. He claims that everyone in his family could sing and play, but that he's the first of them to turn it into a career.

Career: Holland's professional career began as a session musician, but in 1974 he became a founding member of the pop band Squeeze, but he left in 1981 to pursue a solo career. He also hosted TV show The Tube with Paula Yates from 1982 to 1987. He also rejoined Squeeze from 1985 to 1990, since when he's concentrated on his solo career with the 18-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. In 1992 Holland began hosting Later... with Jools Holland, a hugely successful series that showcases musical talent from across the globe - it's still enormously popular, as is its New Year spin-off Jools' Annual Hootenanny.

Quote: "The piano has disappeared from working-class family life, which is a shame. It's associated with the middle classes now."

Trivia: The design of Holland's recording studio, Helicon Mountain, was inspired by the 1960s TV series The Prisoner, of which he is a massive fan.

Vic Reeves (Contributor)

Born: January 24, 1959 in Leeds

Best Known For: Being Bob Mortimer's mate.

Early-life: Born James Roderick Moir in Leeds on January 24, 1959, but he is better known by his stage name Vic Reeves. He moved to Darlington with his parents and younger sister, Lois, at the age of five. He left school without any qualifications and after his plan to attend art college was dashed, he became an apprentice at a mechanical engineering firm. A move to London in 1979 changed his life. Vic appeared in several bands before turning to comedy, naming himself after singers Vic Damone and Jim Reeves. His friends still call him Jim, while his family knows him as Rod.

Career: In 1986, Reeves received an Enterprise Allowance grant to finance the stage show Vic Reeves' Variety Palladium, which later became Vic Reeves' Big Night Out. He met Bob Mortimer during its run, and their partnership was formed. A TV version of the show appeared in 1990. Reeves and Mortimer went on to create hits such as The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, Shooting Stars, Families at War and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). Away from the partnership, Reeves has featured in various adverts, hosted historical series Rogues Gallery, been a contestant on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and presented Brainiac: Science Abuse. He's also published an acclaimed autobiography, Me: Moir. Shooting Stars was later resurrected - then unceremoniously axed - by the BBC, but Reeves and Mortimer continue to work together, including on the sitcom House of Fools.

Quote: "Vic Reeves is really just a character on TV. He's an exaggerated version of me, I suppose. He's more brusque and self-confident."

Trivia: Reeves now uses his real name when appearing in straight acting roles, such as the 2011 drama Eric and Ernie.

Tania Alexander (Executive producer)

02:45 am - 03:45 am, Monday, December 22 on E4 (13)

About this Broadcast

Season 2, Episode 1

Cast & Crew

More Information

Did You Know..

Before / After