As much as we love Gogglebox stars, they aren't the sort of people you expect to end up working for 10 Downing Street.
Nevertheless, Josh Tapper – the cheeky 20-year-old chappy from the Tapper family of North London, who've been on the Channel 4 show since it started – is doing just that.
It's been revealed that Josh has landed a prestigious apprenticeship based in the Cabinet Office, which is full of various departments who work to deliver the government's objectives and rulings.
However, Channel 4 is only viewing this as a temporary break from the show and his parents, chauffeur Jonathan and nursery teacher Nikki, will continue on Gogglebox, along with his 17-year-old sister Amy.
Josh is thought to have beaten many hopeful applicants to the coveted apprenticeship, which can last for up to two years and allows you to apply for a full-time government job at the end.
Josh won't be the first Goggleboxer to make a move away from the hit Channel 4 show – famous boozehounds Steph and Dom were some of the first high-profile telly-watchers to leave, they're now appearing on Celebrity Hunted.
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Meanwhile, George Gilbey temporarily left the show in order to take part in Celebrity Big Brother, along with Sandi Bogle, who also appeared in CBB and even went on to launch a music career. Her pal Sandra Martin also quit the show after four years.
Then there's the most famous Goggleboxer of all, Scarlett Moffatt, who left to take part in (and win) I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.
She's since turned presenter on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and is thought to be taking over hosting duties on I'm a Celeb spin-off show Extra Camp, since Stacey Solomon was dropped.
Gogglebox continues Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4.
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Laurence Mozafari (he/him) is a multi-award winning journalist, editor, and presenter. A former Editor-in-Chief of Digital Spy, Laurence previously held roles as the site's Editor, Deputy Editor, and Associate Editor focusing on news, social, and video. Laurence hosted the BBC Sounds podcast Obsessed with Peaky Blinders in 2019. He also hosts his own podcast production, Time of My Life, where he interviews fascinating elders about their life lessons, including Only Fools and Horses' Sir David Jason, Star Trek’s George Takei and Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh.
Laurence was named Editorial Director – Youth Audience at Reach in early 2025. Prior to joining Digital Spy, he was previously at Bauer Media working as Digital Editor of Heat magazine's website Heatworld.com, and has also worked at and written for Sky, NME, Q magazine, Grazia, Closer, FHM and dedicated careers website GoThinkBig. He secured a first-class BA journalism degree at Staffordshire University, along with several NCTJ qualifications, and now has 14 years' experience in digital publishing covering TV, movies, music, gaming, tech, showbiz, and travel.
Laurence has been a broadcasting contributor on television and radio, including KISS, Heat Radio, BBC Radio London, Radio 5 Live, and BBC Breakfast.
He is also a visiting lecturer at various universities teaching journalism, including City, University of London, Nottingham Trent, Staffordshire University and London Metropolitan. Laurence has won numerous awards in his journalism career, including the BSME Talent Award’s Best Deputy Editor, the PPA's 30 Under 30, and the New Editor and Editor of the Year at the AOP and BSMEs. He led Digital Spy to win PPA's Digital Content Team of the Year twice, along with the British Media Awards’ Brand of the Year in 2021.
Laurence joined the committee for the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2022 and was named vice-chair in 2025. He has since hosted panels with CEOs of Immediate Media and the Media Trust at the PPA Festival, as well as presenting his own radio show on Green Man Radio at Green Man Festival in 2022. Laurence is also a Brits voting academy member.
Laurence has been lucky enough to interview numerous celebrities, actors, and musicians throughout his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger loved his hair, Jimmy Carr loved his coat and Antonio Banderas gave a shout-out to his mum. Laurence has covered set visits for The Witcher on Netflix and Marvel’s Inhumans, he got Daisy Ridley to do a Chewbacca impression and loves Marvel, PlayStation, Glastonbury and craft beer. Linkedin
