Stars have taken to social media to pay tribute to Leon Bernicoff, who sadly passed away aged 83 on Saturday. The beloved Gogglebox star, who appeared on the show alongside his wife June, passed away in hospital after a short illness.
June thanked fans for their messages
Liam Gallagher was among those to pay tribute to Leon, writing: "RIP Leon Gogglebox as you were LG." Scarlett Moffatt, who also appeared on the show until 2016, added: "Words can't explain what you meant to so many people. From your words of encouragement to me to the little DMs. Leon you were loved by so many. Sending my love to you and all of your family." Strictly Come Dancing's 2016 winner, Ore Oduba, also tweeted: "So sad to hear about Leon's passing. An absolute favourite in our house. His and June's love after 60 years marriage such a beautiful example to all of us sending June and the family lots of love at this time of year."
In memoriam: Stars we've lost in 2017
Leon and his wife June starred on the show together
Leon's wife, June, thanked fans for their kind words, tweeting: "Thank you folks for all your wonderful messages. Leon would have loved reading them & hearing how much he was loved. Goodnight & God Bless!" Channel 4 released a statement confirming the sad news on Saturday, writing: "Leon and his wife June were the first members of the public to be cast in Gogglebox back in early 2013, and they soon grew to become much-loved voices during the course of the show's ten series to date. Leon's unique personality and sharp wit endeared him to fans of the show, as he contributed fully to Gogglebox's reputation as a programme full of warm humour and unvarnished opinion.
They added: "To those of us that knew him personally, Leon was a man of unwavering principles who exerted a distinct paternal presence both on and off screen. He will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family; cast and crew. Our thoughts are with June, his two daughters, sons-in-law and beloved grandchildren."