Gogglebox’s fan favourite family, the Michaels, sadly left the show back in 2021 following the loss of Andy Michael, Carolyn’s husband and the father of Louis, Alex, Pascal and Katy. The Brighton-based TV personality passed away aged 61 following a short illness.
At the time, executive producer Victoria Ray confirmed that the family wanted privacy after quitting the show, telling the Daily Star: "We have had people from the show pass away recently. We lost Mary and Andy, and a little while ago we lost Pete. Their loved ones won't be taking part in the show for the moment. Understandably, they want their privacy."
Although Victoria said that the door was always open for the Michael family to come back onto the show if they would like to, they haven’t opted to do so just yet. So what have they been up to while no longer on our screens?
While Carolyn doesn’t appear to have social media, and Louis hasn’t posted for quite a while, Alex occasionally shares snaps on Instagram, including revealing her passion for making funky fleeces for sale, which Louis posed in. She wrote: "No wizard here. Just me and my sewing machine. A lot of time & love gone into making these. Now they're ready for their forever homes. The perfect wavey garm to make incredible memories in."
She also shared a snap of the family in honour of Katy’s birthday, where Carolyn can be spotted in a black dress with pink flowers while posing beside Louis, who was smiling widely while holding a pet dog. Another family member, Pascal, can also be spotted in the snap. However, the Michael sibling opted not to star in the Channel 4 show, appearing only once during the family’s seven-year stint.
The family left the show previously during the 2015 General Election when Andy ran as an MP for UKIP.
In a statement at the time, a Channel 4 spokesperson said: "It's with great regret that the Michaels are no longer in the show. Sadly any Gogglebox cast member who becomes a candidate for a political party will have to step down from their involvement in Gogglebox. They have been excellent contributors to Gogglebox, and we are very grateful for all they have given to the show."
However, after Andy didn’t win the seat, the family returned to the silver screen, with Andy telling The Sun: "I have a responsibility to keep my family happy after they supported me last autumn. That was a big deal for us. They supported me then, so it's my time to support them now. Now I have stepped down from my official position as a prospective parliamentary candidate. I was happy to step down in order to pick up Gogglebox."