Gogglebox’s George Gilbey cause of death revealed at inquest

Gogglebox star George Gilbey had been working on a roof when he fell to his death through a plastic skylight, an inquest has heard. The 40-year-old sustained traumatic injuries to his head and torso and died at the scene in Shoeburyness, Essex, on March 27, the hearing in Chelmsford was told.

Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes opened then suspended Monday’s inquest, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation. Coroner’s officer Deborah Frost said Gilbey had been “working on a roof when he fell through a plastic skylight, landing on the ground below”.

She said that paramedics and police attended but that he died at the scene, with his provisional cause of death recorded as “traumatic injury to head and torso consistent with fall from height”.

Gilbey rose to fame on the second series of Gogglebox with his mother Linda McGarry and step-father in 2013. His death comes less than three years after Pete died from bowel cancer aged 71. The family left the series in 2014 when George entered the Celebrity Big Brother house on rival Channel 5, breaching production rules.

His parents rejoined the show two years later. George, who had a seven-year-old daughter Amelie Iris Gilbey with Gemma Conway in 2016, was part of the 14th series of Celebrity Big Brother and even reached the final.

Coroner Mr Brookes said he had received a written request from Essex Police to suspend inquest proceedings pending the outcome of a criminal investigation, and he granted this request. He said the matter would be reviewed in four months’ time.

A man, aged in his 40s and from the Witham area of Essex, was previously arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the incident. He was later released by police under investigation.