Disabled consultant and presenter Simon Minty joins the cast of Gogglebox
Simon Minty, a disability consultant and presenter, best known for being a co-host of the disability podcast BBC Ouch!, has joined the cast of Channel 4’s Gogglebox.
Alongside his sister Jane, Simon was introduced to the Gogglebox family for the very first time on Friday 22nd October 2021.
The series documents families and groups of friends around the UK who are filmed for their observations and reactions to the previous week’s television from their own homes.
Who is Simon Minty?
Simon Minty, who was born with short stature and limited mobility, is a disability consultant who founded his own company Sminty Ltd.
He works with major corporate organisations in the UK and internationally to assist clients deliver strategic and innovative programmes that improve the recruitment, retention, and promotion of disabled staff and deliver better services to disabled customers.
Simon has a creative side too, helping improve the portrayal of disabled people in media with BBC, Channel 4, Warner Television and Endemol Shine.
Simon is well known for being a presenter on the podcast BBC Ouch! and he also does another podcast alongside his friend and colleague Phil Friend called The Way We Roll, in which they shoot the breeze about disability news.
He won Best Television Feature in 1999 for his Channel 4 Travelog documentary in China.
Simon also makes appearances on The Papers, on the BBC News Channel, in which guests review the headlines of the newspapers due to be published the following day.
He also performed in and co-produced the sell-out Edinburgh Fringe comedy show Abnormally Funny People in 2005, returning in 2015.
Since 2018, Simon has been a Non Executive Director of Motability Operations plc and a trustee of Improbable Theatre and StopGap Dance. He is an Ambassador to the Business Disability Forum and co-created the Disability Media Alliance Project in California.
In 2020, Simon was recognised as the fourth most influential disabled person in the Shaw Trust Power 100 list.
Simon Minty and his sister Jane on Gogglebox
Following the departures of Linda McGarry, Carolyne Michael and her two children Louis and Alex, and Marina Wingrove on Gogglebox earlier this year, there’s effectively three voids on the show for newcomers to fill.
Now, it seems that the casting department has found its ideal candidates.
Taking their seats, Simon and Jane were subjected to the likes of Strictly Come Dancing, The Love Trap (hosted by The Masked Singer‘s Joel Dommett) and doom-filled documentary Killers of the Cosmos.
As well as enjoying the programmes on TV, Simon and Jane had a range of random conversations and comments that included making washing liquid gifts, eating too much and finding a hedgehog in the house.
As you’d assume, the Gogglebox faithful were quick to voice their opinions regarding the newbies. One person declared:
#gogglebox Simon and Jane are a brilliant addition to the show!!!
— Lisa (@LisaM_Catchpole) October 22, 2021
“Absolutely loving Simon and Jane on Gogglebox already. These two are gonna be brilliant,” read someone else’s tweet, before another fan wrote: “A new couple on #c4gogglebox and they’ve got shelves full of books! Hallelujah – I’ve always wondered how the goggleboxers managed to live without them.”
You can watch Gogglebox Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4 and catch up on All4.
By Emma Purcell
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