Dame Sheila Hancock, 90, claims Gogglebox boss got ‘quite angry’ before SACKING her

By Merry On Mar 5, 2023

Dame Sheila Hancock has claimed that a Celebrity Gogglebox boss was ‘quite angry’ with her before she was fired from the Channel 4 programme.

The actress, 90, recently announced she had been suspended from the reality show after being left “deeply shaken” by some of the more racist programs on the agenda.

Sheila teamed up with Gyles Brandreth in 2019 and did not return for a second series and was replaced by Dame Maureen Lipman, 76, whose place was then taken by Dame Joanna Lumley, 76, and later Carol Vorderman, 61.

She had complained about the amount of nudity she was required to watch, but claimed a member of the Gogglebox team wasn’t very understanding.

Produced by Studio Lambert, Gogglebox sees groups of friends and families watching the previous week’s TV shows and regularly features scenes from the controversial dating show Naked Attraction.

Goggle bust: Dame Sheila Hancock has claimed a Celebrity Gogglebox boss was ‘quite angry’ with her before she was fired from the Channel 4 program (pictured in 2022)

That is what the winner of the Laurence Olivier Award said The mirror: ‘I used to like doing it with Gyles, but I got fired there. Well, they didn’t ask me back.

“I think it was because there were a lot of shows that had penises in them, and because it went down (well) with the audience, they kept showing them to us.

“I ended up calling up the lady on editing and saying, ‘I’m enjoying the show, but do you think we could have anything other than penises?’ and she was quite angry.’

MailOnline has contacted Channel 4 and Studio Lambert for comment.

Sheila recently spoke about the matter on BBC Radio 2, saying: ‘They haven’t asked me back for some reason, probably because I was too rude about some of the things I saw.

“Honestly, I hadn’t seen most of the shows they showed us—like all the shows where everyone showed off their genitals.

“And I was deeply shocked, genuinely overwhelmed by the whole thing.”

Celebrity Gogglebox sees a range of stars react to key moments of the week on television, with celebrity guests including Stacey Solomon, Shaun Ryder, Denise Van Outen and Nick Grimshaw.

Dismissed! The actress, 90, recently announced she had been suspended from the reality show after being left ‘deeply shaken’ by some of the more racist programs (pictured with Gyles Brandreth)

In June, Sheila saved a woman from assault when the attacker recognized her for being on Celebrity Gogglebox.

The actress says she once “intervened in a rather violent altercation” in the middle of the night in London and managed to stop the “big assailant”.

Dame Sheila wrote in her new autobiography Old Rage: ‘I aspire to be a pacifist. It’s one of the things you sign up for when you become a Quaker, like I did in 1993…

“I once intervened in a pretty violent altercation between a man and a frightened woman in the dead of night by the River Hammersmith.

“After struggling a bit, vocally and physically, I managed to stop the big forward.

“Unfortunately, not with my Quakerly approach to anger management, but because he recognized me from Gogglebox.”

It also comes after Dame Sheila revealed she receives a weekly injection of biologics to manage pain after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2018.

Racy: Gogglebox sees groups of friends and families watching the previous week’s TV shows and regularly features scenes from the controversial dating show, Naked Attraction

She visits the hospital for checkups and has regular blood tests to monitor her health.

But she says she’s lucky with her injections — which only recently came into use for the public.

She told the radio times: ‘I’m on immunosuppressants so I was ‘extremely vulnerable’ and things like that during the lockdown.

“But I’m lucky because I get a weekly injection of what they call a biologic drug, which has only recently come into general use.

‘It is awesome. Someone my age would have been crippled before. Occasionally I have attacks of pain, but I force myself to rise above it.’

Biologics to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are made of proteins. They work by blocking the activity of a key chemical or cell or protein involved in inflammation that gives rise to joint swelling and other symptoms.

WHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND WHAT ARE BIOLOGICAL INJECTIONS?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects about 400,000 people in the UK and nearly 1.3 million adults in the US.

Women are up to three times more likely to develop the condition than men. Those with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis are also more vulnerable.

It is a long-term disease in which the immune system causes the body to attack itself, causing painful, swollen and stiff joints.

RA, the second most common form of arthritis that often begins between the ages of 40 and 50, tends to affect the hands, wrists, and knees.

Scientists are currently uncertain about the exact cause of RA, but smoking, eating a lot of red meat, and coffee drinkers are at greater risk.

A cure has yet to be found, but treatments are available and have been proven to help slow the progressive condition.

Biologics to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are made of proteins. They work by blocking the activity of a key chemical or cell or protein involved in inflammation that leads to joint swelling and other symptoms.

They may work well for some people but not for others, and they may work well at first but stop working after a while. If they stop working, your doctor will suggest other biologics or options.

The injections can weaken the body’s ability to fight off germs, meaning it’s possible to get infections while taking the treatment.