Australia’s new Gogglebox stars for 2019: Meet the fresh faces of hit series
For Malaysian-born Tim and his Melbourne-born sister, Leanne, the chance to add more diversity to the small screen is a ‘big responsibility’ on the new series of Gogglebox.
It seems only appropriate that when Gogglebox Australia’s new couch critic, Tim Lai and his partner of nearly 20 years, Mark decided to get married they were watching television.
“I think it was something on SBS about same sex marriage and we just sort of looked at each other and said, ‘so what date do you want to get married?’
That was two and a half years ago, as the marriage equality debate was rising on the political agenda and programs like Gogglebox Australia were taking the lead in the national conversation which ended positively in the Yes vote victory last year.
Back then, the casting of same sex couple, Wayne and Tom, was an important one for diversity on TV — an issue that continues to plague the local industry, guilty still of presenting a largely heterosexual, Anglo-Saxon face of Australia.
For Malaysian-born Tim, 40 and his Melbourne-born sister Leanne, the chance to add more colour — and not just her pink hair — to our small screen is “a big responsibility.”
“I just hope we don’t let down the whole side,” Tim tells News Corp Australia, in the siblings’ first-ever interview.
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“At times, we’re not the most PC [politically correct] people,” he adds. “I’m probably the most un-PC when it comes to LGBTQI conversations. I’m a firm believer that at a certain point we’ve become too PC in the world today. I have a very thick skin as well.”
Leanne continues: “we’re really hard to offend and we don’t realise sometimes what we’re saying we shouldn’t be saying. We’re going to have to try to …,” “self censor,” Tim finishes.
“We don’t mean it,” Leanne laughs, “it’s just that brain to mouth thing. We have no filter. We just go ‘blurgh!’”
Like riffing on PM Scott Morrison’s recent edict banning thongs and shorts from citizenship ceremonies. On this, Tim agrees — over-sharing about his partner’s penchant for wearing socks with his Birkenstock sandals.
“He’s part Swiss, so it’s part of his DNA but it’s horrible. If he’s not tucking his tracky daks into his socks, it’s wearing socks with Birkenstocks.”
Leanne loves her in-law-to-be but draws the line at this: “that is not okay, full stop.”
On a show which has thrived on the unfiltered musings of average Australians that’s good news for fans who have taken to the show’s cast like family — welcomed into their lounge rooms each week to get their take on everything from reality TV to terrorist attack coverage.
The exit of original couchmates, Wayne and Tom, as well as Angie and Yvie (currently competing on Ten’s I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here) has made room for the brother-and-sister act.
The new pairing will broadcast from the south east Melbourne home of Tim, a retail technology consultant, and likely feature regular appearances by his three-month-old Boston terrier puppy, River.
Leanne, who works as an operations manager in a factory, alongside her partner Brodie, also has two “neurotic” Chihuahuas of her own — but warns River is handful enough on air.
While Bane, the British bulldog of Goggleboxers Sarah Marie and Matty Fahdand, has become a social media sensation for dry-humping during every episode, Leanne reveals her fur niece has her own bad habits.
“She pees on everything. I literally … on the way over to talk to you … I stepped in her pee. Not five minutes ago I was washing pee off my foot.”
The dog lover pinches herself at the thought of joining the Gogglebox line-up she has been “star struck” by since the show debuted on air in February, 2015.
“If I met any of them, I would be in full star struck mode. You’ll know I’m nervous when I get that high-pitch giggle. That’s definitely going to happen.”
For Tim, “if I met Adam and Symon, I’d lose it. They’re such larrikins, I laugh at all their jokes. They’re jokes are so funny. I think my jokes are funny too but I’m the only one. I love [art dealers] Mick and Di as well. Di’s cackle … holy moley, it’s impressive, I love it.”
Both are food-obsessed, posting their own cooking and eating adventures on Instagram and YouTube under the moniker, The Travelling Ulcers (@thetravellingulcers).
Encouraged by one follower to apply to join Gogglebox, seven months later they find themselves putting their past time to good use.
“I will watch anything,” Leanne explains. “I love animated shows, I love cooking shows. I watch reality TV … it’s my secret passion that nobody knows about [until now]. Everything from The Grand Tour to Adventure Time. I get home after work and I guiltily put on the TV and veg out in front of it. But now I can feel productive watching TV. This is a dream come true,” she says.
“We can go to mum and say ‘all those hours we spent watching TV has paid off!’” Tim jokes.
His tastes in TV are “very similar to Leanne” but adds “I’m an out and proud sci-fi geek but I love reality programs too. I love watching MAFS [Married At First Sight] with Leanne. And one of my guilty pleasures is I wake up every morning, I’ll have my coffee and a glass of water and I’ll watch Antiques Roadshow and Bargain Hunt.”
Leanne jumps in: “it’s also why his house is full of stuff.”
Tim nods: “I am a hoarder, I should be on [TV series] Hoarders. I just keep everything. I find it hard to get rid of anything. I’ve got report cards and stupid things I made from primary school and preschool.”
Asked if they’ve caught on the Marie Kondo tidying craze, they both squeal.
“I love that show, we love her,” Tim screams. “Leanne actually applied her folding techniques to her clothes.”
And what of last week’s top-rating return of MAFS?
More squealing as they launch into analysing the explosive reaction of Ivan, the brother of Philippine Australian bride, Cyrell to cancer survivor groom, Nic.
“Oh my god! Can we say new TV villain?” Leanne trills. “I love him though. I absolutely love him. He’s so in your face.”
Tim agrees: “It’s probably something I would do as well. Leanne is my baby sister and when I was young I used to wipe her butt and change her diapers. I am very protective of Leanne, so if something like that happened to her, I’d probably be that protective.”
That said, he announces his plans to inflict “the fluffiest, most hideous bridesmaid’s outfit ever” on his baby sister when he ties the knot with Mark on September 1 this year, to which Leanne replies, “wait, what?”
Gogglebox Australia returns at 7.30pm Wednesday on Foxtel’s Lifestyle and 8.30pm, Thursday on 10. Stream seasons 1-7 on Foxtel On Demand.
Originally published as Australia’s new Gogglebox stars for 2019: Meet the fresh faces of hit series
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