When does Gogglebox return? Series 18 release date, and who is in cast - after deaths of Pete, Mary and Andy

Self-professed armchair critics exist in every family home, none more so than families who take part on Channel 4’s Gogglebox.

From commentating on sports, news bulletins, dramas and documentaries, the cast give real-time reactions to the UK’s primetime shows.

In the past three months, the show has paid tribute to three late stars of the show following the deaths of Pete McGarry, Mary Cook and Andrew Michael.

So, who will be returning for the 18th series - and will there be any newcomers? This is what you need to know.

When is Gogglebox back on TV?

Gogglebox series 18 will begin on Channel 4 from Friday 17 September at 9pm.

Who are the Gogglebox 2021 families?

While there has been no formal announcement about who will return for series 18 yet, the families most likely to return are:

The Malone family

The Malones first joined the show in 2014 and have been a firm favourite with fans.

They are made up of dad Tom, mum Julie and son and Shaun. When they first hit our screens, son Tom Jnr also too part, but announced he had quit earlier this year.

Tom and Julie also have a daughter, Vanessa, who made a rare appearance on the sofa in March.

Ellie and Izzi Warner

These northern sisters have been on the show for over six years, first confessing their couch-potato habits in 2015.

The duo from Leeds shared some exciting news just before lockdown - Izzie welcomed a daughter, Bessie Rose.

Pete and Sophie

From their synchronized laughs to their hilarious reactions to TV, Pete and Sophie have become one of the most liked duos on the show since they joined four years ago.

The brother-sister pair recently revealed a good chuckle runs in their family, as they are also related to Paul Chuckle.

Pete announced at the NTA’s earlier this month that his girlfriend has given birth to their son, which he admits “takes after his mum,” asked when viewers might meet their baby on Gogglebox, he chimed: “I don’t know, you’ll need to ask him.”

Jenny and Lee

Best mates Jenny and Lee may be the best known out of all the cast members, which could be because they have been tuning in from their sofa since 2014.

Lee’s dramatic commentary and Jenny’s no-nonsense attitude is one of the many reasons fans of the show have now tuned in for 17 seasons.

Abbie and Georgia

Durham girls Abbie and Georgia first joined the show back in 2018 and have been fans of Mariah Carey, among other less well known viewers.

Abbie, aged just 21, joked on one episode in December last year that “2020 has been saved by Mariah Carey”, to which Gabbie responded “that’s all it took.”

The clip was shared on Twitter by Gogglebox’s official account, then reshared by MC herself, captioning the re-tweet: “Love This”

Stephen Webb and Daniel Lustig

Stephen has been on the show since the show’s formation back in 2013, and in 2019 his husband Daniel Lustig joined him.

The Brighton pair have lost weight and appear to have revamped their appearance since lockdown, as hairdresser Stephen shared a clip of the pair on his Twitter on 13 September.

Dave and Shirley Griffiths

Welsh couple Dave and Shirley joined the show in 2015 and have had us laughing along with them ever since.

The pair, 66, have been married for over 40 years and live in Caerphilly, in the South Wales valleys just outside Cardiff.

The Siddiqui family

The Siddiqui family have been on the show since the beginning and includes sons Umar, Baasit and their dad Sid.

Dad Sid, 73, and his two sons Baasit, 34, and Umar, 41, live in Derby, where Baasit is an IT teacher in a secondary school and Umar works for the NHS.

Giles and Mary

With their coordinated wallpaper and arm chair combo, quirky Giles and Mary have been keeping viewers entertained since 2015.

The pair are said to be acquaintances of Boris Johnson and his sister, Rachel.

The pair allegedly met at the age of 21, when Giles was studying at art school in WImbledon and Mary was a model

Amira, Iqra and Amani

The Londoner friends first appeared on the show in 2017, but Amira has been the only one to appear in all series.

Amani appeared to have quit for a while, with just Amira and Iqra giggling together and leaving fans in stitches. However, there have also been episodes where only Amani and Amra have featured, so we could expect a duo or trio for series 18.

The Worthingtons

The Worthingtons, made up of Alison, her husband George and her daughter Helena, joined the cast in series 10.

Helena has since welcomed a son, in 2019 - Edwin - who made his TV debut weeks later. She was praised by viewers when she chose to breastfeed while filming for the show.

Tremaine, Twaine and Tristan Plummer

Bristol brothers Tremaine, Twaine and Tristan have been keeping viewers entertained with their quick witted humour and sarcastic sense of humour since 2016.

Aside from Gogglebox, Tristan plays football for Hereford FC, while Twaine plays for Bradford town and hosts a breakfast radio show.

Tremaine is a chef, but is also a keen sports enthusiast.