Gogglebox staff accuse the show of ‘inhumane’ working conditions

Former Gogglebox staff have accused the show’s production of “toxic” working conditions, including claims they were shouted at, worked long hours and not allowed to take breaks.

Speaking to The Guardian, a recent former employee of Gogglebox said it was the worst job they had ever had and was sometimes “inhumane”.

They said: “People have had enough. You don’t turn up to work to be screamed at for 12 hours a day. It was the worst job I ever did. The way that it’s made is inhumane at times.”

Channel 4 and the production company behind Gogglebox, Studio Lambert, have been made aware of the claims.

A spokesperson for Channel 4 told The Guardian they have a clear code of conduct and cannot comment on anonymous allegations.

They said: “Channel 4 has a clear code of conduct which sets out the standards of behaviour it expects from its suppliers and production partners.

“We can’t comment on anonymous allegations and rumours, but we are satisfied Studio Lambert is taking appropriate action to ensure the welfare of its teams and to enforce appropriate standards of behaviour across the shows it makes for us.”

Staff at Gogglebox also claimed they were warned against disrupting production during the pandemic by being forced to self isolate. Many claimed they deleted the NHS Track and Trace app on their phones.

Studio Lambert also makes The Circle on Channel 4 and staff members there were also allegedly warned of disrupting production because of the pandemic.

After a few crew members had to self-quarantine, a number of the crew reportedly deleted the Track and Trace app from their phones.

A spokesperson for Studio Lambert said they take the welfare of their teams seriously.

They said: “Studio Lambert takes the welfare of its teams extremely seriously across all its productions, and has a number of measures in place to encourage people to come forward with any concerns they may have, as well as support systems for a range of issues.

“We have procedures in place to look into and take appropriate action whenever we receive a complaint from staff.”

A number of staff members on Gogglebox reportedly approached the Bectu trade union who are looking to improve conditions in reality TV. The union said it was urgently seeking a meeting with Studio Lambert.

Featured image credit: Channel 4

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