What do the Gogglebox cast do for a living when they're not watching telly?

You know when you were a kid and you couldn't fathom the fact that your teacher was an actual functioning human outside of the classroom? It's a bit like that with the stars of Gogglebox for us. 

We're so used to seeing the cast sat on sofas in their front rooms, passing comment on an eclectic mix of television programmes, it's easy to forget that they actually have to go out and make a living so they can, you know, afford a TV licence. So here's what they get up to in their lives outside of Gogglebox.

1. The Moffatts

While Scarlett is probably the most high-profile of the cast-members, with her relatively recent role co-presenting Capital North East's daily Breakfast Show while presenter JoJo Hatfield is on maternity leave, she's not always been a presenter. Prior to that she was a disability advisor for students.

Mum Betty works in Burton when she's not sat watching telly, while dad Mark is a welder who specialises in making JCBs.

2. The Tappers

While Dad Jonathan used to own a kosher restaurant in North London where the family lives, he's now a chauffeur. Imagine the surprise you'd get seeing him in the front of a car that came to pick you up. Mum Nikki is a nursery teacher, and teenager Josh is studying in the final year of his A-Levels, while Amy is two years behind him. 

3. The Michaels

Did you know there are actually six members of the Michael family, although we mostly only get to see four of them? Aside from mum Carolyne, dad Andy, son Louis and daughter Alex there's also another daughter, Katie, who was away travelling in Australia when her family first featured on Gogglebox, but now she's back she occasionally sits in Alex's place when she's not there. And then there's another son, Pascal, who was apparently busy studying Neuroscience in Aberdeen when the series first began.

These days, Louis is studying at the University of Chichester, while Alex completed her Masters in Computer Science a few years back. Retired hotelier Andy famously ran for UKIP as an MP a couple of years ago, meaning the family had to quit the show, but they returned last Autumn thank GOD.

4. Leon and June

These two were both teachers before they retired, with Leon having taught History and June English. The pair met in teaching college, but now enjoy their retirement together doing things like playing bridge and swimming. 

5. Chris and Stephen

What with their never-ending array of hair dos, it's not exactly surprising that this pair are hairdressers outside of the Gogglebox world.

6. The Malones

This is the family famous just as much for their never-ending supply of big dogs as their never-ending supply of biscuits. Son Tom Jnr is a dance teacher and choreographer at his local dance studio, where mum Julie works occasionally on reception as well as being a housewife, and he's good too, having performed with the Black Eyed Peas before. Dad Tom Snr is a lorry driver and second son Shaun plays for Manchester United's mixed ability team as well as coaching football.

7. The Siddiquis 

Patriarch of the Siddiqui family, Sid, was originally an engineer but works in the healthcare industry these days. Out of Sid's five children (three boys and two girls) Umar and Baasit are the main ones to feature in the programme. 

Umar is a microbiologist working in a hospital, while Baasit, who has a young daughter, works as an IT teacher. Umar and Baasit's brother, Raza – who only appears on the show very occasionally – is an estate agent.

8. Sandy and Sandra

The hilarious double act from London's Brixton are both unemployed, but with four children and two grandchildren, Sandy often has her hands full looking after her youngest grandchild Shiloh every weekday. Sandra, meanwhile, must spend most of her time hunting down the incredible jewellery we see her adorned with so often on the show. 

9. Jenny and Lee

Caravan-dwelling Jenny and Lee's friendship started when they met 21 years ago; she was the landlady at the Crown Inn pub in Hull and he was a regular customer. Jenny found herself on the show after meeting two Gogglebox researchers at Beverley Races and telling them how big of a fan she was. So it pays to give compliments, then.

10. Giles and Mary

The eccentric couple from Wiltshire who are perhaps most famed for their matching armchair and wallpaper situation were bound to do something creative. Giles is an artist while Mary is a writer. Do you reckon he painted that portrait of a girl behind Mary?

11. Linda, Pete and George

George Gilbey is an electrician, as is his step-dad Pete, who's been married to mum Linda for 17 years. Linda, meanwhile, is a carer. The family were cut from the show back in 2014 after George featured on Celebrity Big Brother, because it conflicted with their appearance on Gogglebox. They were welcomed back with open arms, though.

12. Steph and Dom

Well, we all know this one, don't we? Steph and Dom run their own hotel in Sandwich, Kent. But before her hospitality days, Steph apparently used to work for NATO and the European Commission (good job she's not doing that anymore, eh?) while Dom was in charge of his family steel business. Fun fact: these two met on a blind date. The friend who put them together had good intuition.

13. Bill and Josef

This pair often have the focus taken away from them by another pair – the giant boobs that hang behind them in the living room they film in. Bill is a journalist who frequently writes for the Daily Express, and is also a former British chess champion. Josef, on the other hand, is an accountant, but outside of work is a keen gamer with a particular fondness for board games. Which is how the friends met at a Monopoly Charity Walk 17 years ago.

14. The Woerdenwebers

Unsurprisingly given her clothes of choice, mum Viv runs a goth  shop called Twilight in the Wirral, while daughter Eve runs a tattoo studio called Pretty Inked. Viv met Eve's step-dad Ralf, a drummer, back in 2007 when she was celebrating the Pagan festival of Yule. We've got no idea what Silent Jay did when he was part of the family on the show, but what we do know is that we miss him every day.

15. Reverend Kate Bottley and Graham

The white collar and the "Rev" before her name might be a giveaway, but you guessed it: Kate's a vicar in her native Nottingham. Famous for her extravagant slippers and her unusually bendy dog, Kate is also joined by partner Graham on her sofa, a violin teacher.