'It was very profitable...' Stephen Webb earned a fortune doing Gogglebox
Stephen Webb says he earned a huge chunk of cash doing Gogglebox, and it allowed him to open up "two salons" off the back of it.
Stephen Webb was "extremely well paid" doing 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.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I was extremely well paid.
"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.
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.
And reacting to her pay claim, Stephen quipped: "Well, maybe if Kate had delivered a bit more drama, a bit more fun..."
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.
For more information, visit centreforsight.com.
