By Indigo Jones,Joe Crutchley

Copyright walesonline

Gogglebox has become one of Britain’s most beloved shows, but it appears there’s a stringent rule that cast members must follow. Since the Channel 4 programme debuted in 2013, it has delivered countless iconic households from across the country: from Giles Wood and Mary Killen in Wiltshire to Caerphilly’s own Dave and Shirley. While those appearing on the show aren’t celebrities, they’ve all become incredibly recognisable faces on our screens. However, behind the scenes, there’s a firm regulation that the sofa critics must respect to stay on Gogglebox. The show maintains a strict ‘no celebrities’ policy, meaning its participants cannot gain ‘celebrity’ status by appearing in other television shows whilst on Gogglebox. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . This rule could lead to their axing from the cast, similar to the Moffatt family who were dropped shortly after daughter Scarlett left in 2016 to appear on I’m A Celebrity. Scarlett eventually won the ITV show and has built herself into a major television personality, landing presenting gigs on programmes like Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Speaking to The Sunday People, a source suggested that Scarlett’s rapid ascent to stardom ended the Moffatt family’s time on the show. They disclosed: “The whole premise of Gogglebox is normal people commenting on the TV. “Scarlett is now a celebrity in her own right so it made sense she wouldn’t continue. She and her parents came as a package. It wouldn’t work so well without all three of them.” In 2018, the Tapper family were temporarily removed from the show when daughter Amy appeared on Celebs Go Dating. The Michael family also took a break from the programme in 2014 when father Andrew ran as a UKIP candidate in the general election. Tania Alexander, co-creator of the programme, has previously spoken about the selection process, emphasising that they look for ‘people who don’t want to be on television’. In a conversation with CST Online, Tania disclosed: “There’s never been an application process for Gogglebox. If you ask me what are the types of people I’m looking for, I’d say that I don’t want people that want to be on telly. “I especially don’t want people that want to be on Gogglebox. Most of our cast have had to be persuaded to do it.” Tania further explained: “Those people who don’t think they’re funny are usually very funny and their lack of awareness is attractive. If someone says they’d be great on Gogglebox you can guarantee they probably won’t be. “We didn’t want loads of wannabes so I said no to applications and we will street cast.”