Scottish Tory leader Ross says he and wife ‘could be part’ of Gogglebox TV show

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has told Channel 4 bosses he would go on Gogglebox, as he complained about the lack of Scots on the popular TV show.

The programme features a group of regular TV viewers, and films them as they watch other shows, capturing their reactions to these.

But Mr Ross told bosses at Channel 4, which screens the programme, that there had not been a Scottish family on it since 2016.

His comments came as Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon said: “We do get complaints about the lack of representation on Gogglebox which is one of our biggest shows.”

She described this as being a “continued pressure”.

Mr Ross who raised the issue at Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee, then told her: “I’m a big fan of Gogglebox and my wife and I watch it every week.

“We could be part of it.”

But amid chuckles from other MPs on the committee he added however that “the response from my colleagues in the committee room suggests that is not a viable option”.

But with the show featuring a family from Wales, he asked why it was so difficult for it to include some Scottish participants.

Ms Mahon said: “It would be better to have a Scottish family, I know from previously investigating, we haven’t yet both found a family and superseded our production difficulties on it.

“But it is a goal for us to do that and I think you are right to flag there is a lack of representation on that show.”

Channel 4 commissioning editor Deborah Dunnett went on to explain that part of the problem was related to the “really fast turn around” on the show.

Mr Ross however said “that sounds like complete rubbish”.

He told told the TV executives: “You have spent an hour today so far speaking about how great Channel 4 is because you get to all most remote parts of Scotland.

“Yet we can’t get clips to a family in Glasgow or Edinburgh or Perth or Moray or anywhere like that.

“It’s just crazy.”