Gogglebox airs Queen Elizabeth II tribute in latest episode
There were tears as reports came in of Her Majesty's passing.
An emotional episode of Gogglebox aired on Channel 4 last night, as the show's participants gave their reaction to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
News broke quite suddenly last week that Her Majesty had died at the age of 96, leading to an overwhelming outpouring of emotion and tributes to her remarkable life.
She was the longest-reigning British monarch in history, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee (marking 70 years on the throne) just this summer, and was deeply admired by many people across the country for her service.
That was reflected in last night's Gogglebox (now available to watch on All 4), where several of the pundits couldn't hide their grief upon learning of her death, hailing her accomplishments across a long, successful life.
Amid a stream of tears, Jenny said: "When she first took over, she said be it a long reign or a short reign, she would work 'til the end. And that's what she did."
More like this
Mary was also seen crying as she expressed concern that the country has lost an aspirational figure, who many have looked towards for comfort and guidance for decades.
"This is the problem: we don't have a role model now," she began. "There's nobody of her stature in our public life that we can admire."
Mary went on to say, in a conversation with her husband Giles, that the newly appointed King Charles III wouldn't fill the void left in her heart, calling for another strong woman to inspire the next generation.
She added: "A female role model, I was thinking of. We need a female role model. I mean, who else is there? No one. She's incomparable."
Fellow Goggleboxers Stephen and Daniel were also shaken by news of Queen Elizabeth II's passing, claiming to have goosebumps as the national anthem played on BBC News.
"We knew that was coming, but it's still quite shocking, isn't it?" said Stephen.
Marcus added: "She's the country's queen, but she's still somebody's mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and that's the lot who I feel sorry for... I have sympathy for them."
Meanwhile, the Siddiqui family raised the point that Queen Elizabeth II's speech as the COVID-19 pandemic drove us into lockdown was far more comforting and moving than anything that politicians had to say.
The strength of feeling around the late Queen has been clear to see from the enormous number of people gathering in London this weekend to pay their respects, with a miles-long queue weaving through the capital to see her lying in state.
At the time of writing, attendees face a wait of 16 hours or longer, but many are happy to do it as a demonstration of their gratitude to a formative figure in their lives.
For the latest scheduling information, visit our TV Guide.
