Channel 4 is to fund a dedicated casting team to find a Scottish family to star in Gogglebox.
Pete Wishart MP, chairman of the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster, welcomed the decision which followed his committee’s evidence session on public broadcasting in Scotland with Channel 4.
During the evidence session in September, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross told bosses at the broadcaster there had not been a Scottish family on the programme since 2016.
Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon told the committee: “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”.
Ms Mahon has since written to MPs to confirm that the broadcaster has agreed a separate budget for a dedicated casting team to find a suitable Scottish family to appear on the hit show.
It is hoped that at least one Scottish family will be appearing on the programme from the New Year.
During the Scottish Affairs Committee session held on September 20, MPs explored a number of areas ranging from privatisation, Channel 4’s presence in Scotland and the impact Covid-19 has had on its production companies.
Mr Wishart said: “Channel 4 has impressive credentials for supporting independent producers and offering opportunities for young people wishing to explore the sector.
“We are bursting at the seams with talent in Scotland, and I am pleased to hear Channel 4’s efforts to harness this potential.
“A theme which came up in our evidence session was the lack of a Scottish family on Gogglebox.
“It is clear some have approached the channel with similar concern, often offering themselves as an option.
“I am therefore pleased to see a dedicated team tasked with this and look forward to seeing the successful family on our screens in the new series.”
