Maureen Lipman rules out Celebrity Gogglebox return

Dame Maureen Lipman has ruled out a return to ‘Celebrity Gogglebox’.

The 75-year-old actress decided to leave the Channel 4 show as she claims bosses cut a number of comical scenes featuring her and co-star, broadcaster and writer Gyles Brandreth.

She told the Radio Times magazine: "I went in imagining that they wanted me for my wit and my brain. Of course, they just want to show you willies and for you to be shocked.

"Honestly, we were really funny together, but none of that was used. And if they don't want to use what we gave them, f*** them.

"It is from my point of view. I'm sure they'll put someone else with Gyles."

Former politician Gyles first appeared on the show in 2019 alongside Dame Sheila Hancock, 89, who was replaced by ‘Coronation Street’ star Maureen.

Gyles has previously backed Maureen's decision to depart the show, agreed the show's producers did not appreciate her sense of humour.

He said: "Some of the things that Maureen has said are Oscar-winning funny. But what do they use? Us yawning!"

This comes after Eamonn Holmes blasted 'Celebrity Gogglebox' over how he was edited on the show.

He appeared on the programme alongside his wife Ruth Langsford, but the TV presetner was horrified when, in response to a scene where a child gives his father CPR, producers used a story Eamonn told about driving Ruth to hospital when she was in labour, rather than footage of him discussing his own father's death from a heart attack.

He wrote on Twitter: "In reply to a number of complaints ....I am hurt beyond belief that @C4Gogglebox chose not to use me talking about my Father dying from a Heart Attack at the side of a road and replace it with a funny story following a young lad giving his Father CPR . Idiotic and cruel edit.

"So following a tragedy that has forever haunted my family, I am in no mood for criticising holier than thou mouthpieces on here who haven't gone through what we did. I had nothing but praise and emotion for the Ambulance control room TV programme. An atrocious edit @StudioLambert.

"How my Father died was a particularly horrible experience for my Mother , my younger brother and his friend who were all in the car . The resuscitation in The BBC Ambulance programme was as close as could be to my Dad's passing.Yet I am the one edited to make it look like a laugh (sic)."

'Gogglebox' later apologised, and Eamonn accepted the apology, admitting he was "looking forward to making fun TV".