Gogglebox’s Tom Malone Jr. has revealed some of the racist abuse he and his mixed-race girlfriend, Bryony Briscoe, frequently receive on their social media platforms.
After he posted a light-hearted video of him and his girlfriend dancing to the song Did You See by J Hus to TikTok, a troll left the racist remark, “It’s illegal to own them these days” underneath.
In response to the comment, the 26-year-old, whose brother Shaun became a dad for the first time last month, posted a second video to the social media site, calling out the troll’s racism and urged his fans to report them.
He said, “So tell me why someone feels the need, in 2020, to comment this… We are in 2020, people still want to be racist. People say that racism is done, it’s not - look at this stupidness. You’re clearly not an evolved human being, look at that.
“Report the comment, report the profiles, get this gone. TikTok is supposed to be a platform for people to have fun, dance, enjoy themselves - and you’ve got people saying stuff like this. Report it all, get it gone. Black Lives Matter.”
CHECK OUT axed Gogglebox cast - where are they now?
AXED Gogglebox stars: then and now - slider
The Moffatts then
Arguably the shows biggest export, Scarlett Moffatt has gone on to do some incredible things since leaving the show in 2016, winning I'm a Celeb and landing presenting roles on Extra Camp and Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
The Moffatts now
The rest of the family are still thick as thieves, as Scarlett's recent tribute to her dad Mark proves. After Scarlett gained celeb status, the whole family were axed, leaving Scarlett gutted – but they're certainly enjoying her celeb status, with "secret" little sister Ava making pals with Joe Swash's son Harry, and glitzy parties galore.
The Tappers then
The Tappers were the super loud family of four from North London, but had their spot on Gogglebox rescinded after Amy's stint on Celebs Go Dating, due to the producers "no celebs" rule.
The Tappers now
But despite returning to their day jobs the family are still as tight knit as ever, with Nikki and Jonathon recently celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary.Jonathon – a chauffer - has recently shed 3 and half stone and is almost unrecognisable from his Gogglebox days and son Josh is a budding politician.
Sandi and Sandra then
Sandi first crashed onto our screens alongside best friend Sandra, with their incredible nails and plentiful takeaways, and had to deny claims they'd fallen out after Sandra seemingly made a dig at Sandi's 'celebrity' lifestyle after leaving the show.
Sandi now
She's since gone on to do a number of reality TV projects including CBB in 2017 and Famous and Fighting Crime last year, and is an aspiring soul singer.She's also thecousin of Naomi Campbell.
Sandra and Chanchez then
Sandra decided to stay on the show for a time after Sandi left, and enlisted her daughter Chanchez to keep her company on the sofa.
Sandra now
Despite her fame and status as one of the most popular Goggleboxers ever, Sandra admitted to us last year that she was "broke" and moving into an over 55 home after being homeless for months. Last year she announced she would be getting married to her unnamed boyfriend, but from her social media still looks to be single.
George Gilbey then
Another 'boxer deemed 'too sleb' for the sofa, George Gibley's time on Gogglebox came to an end after he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, coming fourth, and snogging celebrity ladies Stephanie Pratt AND Edele Lynch.
George Gilbey now
After a brief return to the show, George's life has taken a distinctly less glamorous turn, and last year narrowly avoiding prison when he was charged with trying to strangle his ex-girlfriend while their daughter slept upstairs.
Steph and Dom then
Steph and Dom Parker are another Gogglebox family to have done very well for themselves since leaving the show in 2017. Their excellent comedic chemistry has landed them their own radio show on talkRadio, and they've hosted a number of telly shows, like 2014's Steph and Dom meet Nigel Farage.
Steph and Dom now
But there's a serious side to the Sandwich dwelling, B&B owning couple, too. Earlier this year they hosted an investigative documentary looking into medical marijuana, as parents to severely epileptic son Max, 18.
Mummy Pat then
Pat Webb is the mother of OG 'boxer Stephen Webb and temporarily stepped in to replaced his ex and friend Chris when he left in 2017 (more on that in a bit).
Mummy Pat now
We haven't seen much of Mummy Pat since she left the show, and viewers weren't happy to see her go, but she did rock a fascinator fabulously for Stephen's wedding to husband Daniel Lustig.
Christopher Ashby-Steed then
Christopher Ashby-Steed joined Stephen Webb on the first EVER episode of Gogglebox in 2013. At first they were in a romantic relationship – but after they broke up, decided to continue working together on the show.
Christopher Ashby-Steed now
However, things eventually turned pretty sour between the two, and earlier this year Chris gave an interview with The Mirror where he claimed Stephen had "bullied" him off the show."A year on, I've finally had the courage to stand up to a bully and start to tell the story of how @Stephenwebb71 forced of off @C4Gogglebox and how it's affected my mental health since," he tweeted, adding that he'd received no mental health aftercare, which is an "industry-wide failing".He's found his happy ever after, though, wit a new husband.
Leon and June then
Leon and June Bernicoff were the hilarious elderly couple who had us alternatively in stitches/tears from the first episode, up until Leon's tragic death in December 2017. Deciding not to continue on the show without her husband, June has largely stepped out of the limelight but occasionally gives interviews, and wrote a memoir about her 62 year marriage called Leon and June: Life, Love and Laughter – Our Story.
Leon and June now
June sadly passed away at the age of 82 in May 2020. Her death was announced in a statement by Channel 4, which read, "We are deeply saddened to announce that Gogglebox's much-loved June Bernicoff passed away at the age of 82 on May 5 at home with her family by her side after a short illness."As the first couple to be cast for Gogglebox back in 2013, June and her husband Leon were a huge part of the programme's success. Their warmth, wit and contrasting personalities endeared them to the nation during the course of the first 10 series."
Silent Jay then
One of the most iconic Goggleboxers of all time, Silent Jay – AKA Jay Makin – gained legions of fans with his hilarious facial expressions. He was the boyfriend of Eve Woerdenweber, but left the show after they split.
Silent Jay now
After his departure in the show in 2015, Jay told The Sun, "I get recognised as that guy who never speaks — and most people get shocked by how much I talk. I am generally quite talkative."They just edit the bits where I talk out."
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Tom also shared to video to his Instagram page, alongside a photo of himself and Bryony protesting at a Black Lives Matter event, accompanied by the caption, “So in 2020 people are still making remarks like these. Racism is still very much alive and more needs to be done to fight it. #BlackLivesMatter is not a trend and we still need to stand up for what is right.
“Every single one of us has a platform on these apps no matter how big or small… and we need to use our platforms to promote change and fight inequalities. This isn’t the first racist comment on posts with my girlfriend and unfortunately it probably won’t be the last.”
Sadly, Tom’s last sentence was then proved correct as he revealed he’d been inundated with even more racist abuse.
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Bryony, a make-up model also shared her reaction to the racist abuse to her Instagram. She admitted, “When I saw that comment I just rolled my eyes because although these comments may seem futile to many, somewhere down the line this behaviour enables the violent and systemic racism we’re still seeing today. In a way I am lucky because I can recognise my privilege as a mixed race person, but this does not diminish the pain of what I, black people, and other POC experience on a daily basis.
“I try my best to use my platform to address these things but I end up getting too invested and it really does have an effect on me mentally because it is distressing. This is a daily occurrence for most of us, but at the same time it’s so empowering to see so many people using their platform, their voices, and campaigning for change.”
Unfortunately, despite reporting several racist comments from trolls, Bryony revealed that TikTok had not found that they violated their community guidelines and had therefore refused to remove the offensive posts from their platform.