Gogglebox veteran Sid Siddiqui has posted a thank you message to Twitter to show his fans how touched he is to be sent messages of support amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
Sid, 73, has been forced to stay off the show as he must remain in isolation away from his sons Baasit, 34, and Umar, 41, who have been appearing on the series without him from their home in Derby.
Sid posted to Twitter: ‘A big hi to all my friends, I don’t feel you’re fans but my best and close friends.
Locked down! Gogglebox veteran Sid Siddiqui has posted a thank you message to Twitter to show his fans how touched he is to be sent messages of support amid the COVID-19 lockdown
‘I am sorry for my absence from #Gogglebox, your kind & beautiful messages always overwhelm me with touch of sadness.
‘These difficult times will pass. Please #bestrong #besafe’
Son Baasit also tweeted his thanks, posting: ‘A massive massive thank you to all of you for all the #Gogglebox love.
‘I won’t lie, I’m missing [Sid] like crazy but the rest of the cast and the incredible hard working crew make me so proud to be on your telly during some pretty testing times! #thankyou’
Sid posted to Twitter: ‘A big hi to all my friends, I don’t feel you’re fans but my best and close friends’
Trio: Sid, 73, has been forced to stay off the show as he must remain in isolation away from his sons Baasit, 34, and Umar, 41, who have been appearing on the series without him from their home in Derby
Son Baasit also tweeted his thanks, posting: ‘A massive massive thank you to all of you for all the #Gogglebox love’
This comes after Gogglebox fans were left unimpressed after Friday night’s episode when sisters Ellie and Izzi watched hours of TV together in the same room, despite not living together.
The sisters, from Leeds, were the talk of social media during the programme as disgruntled viewers hit out at Channel 4 for not practicing social distancing measures.
Fans of the show were expecting to see Ellie joined by her boyfriend Nat who had previously taken Izzi’s place during the coronavirus lockdown, but Izzi was back with her sister on the most recent episode.
Lockdown: Gogglebox fans were left unimpressed after Friday night’s episode when sisters Ellie and Izzi watched hours of TV together in the same room, despite not living together
One viewer tweeted: ‘@C4Gogglebox I could be wrong…? But if we are 25 days of lockdown as mentioned at the start of the programme tonight… how are the sisters, Ellie and Izzi sitting in the living room together? #SocialDistancing’.
Another said: ‘Ellie’s boyfriend was stepping in for Izzi. So how come she’s now back and mixing households? God what I would give to see my family!’
Another viewer echoed the same sentiments and wrote: ‘How is ellie and her sister allowed to visit and the Siddiqui boys dont live together?
‘It doesn’t matter if she is a metre apart still breaking the rules I miss mine like crazy but were isolating in our own houses with NO VISTING #stayathome’.
Before: The sisters have sat noticeably closer together in previous episodes of the show
Another viewer said: ‘Ellie and Izzi had the audacity to slate Boris Johnson talking about the strain on the NHS when they’ve clearly broke the government guidelines to film a television programme #gogglebox’.
The pair spoke about coronavirus during the episode, with Ellie asking: ‘What are we going to do when we have to go back to work?’
Izzi jokingly replied: ‘I’m not, I’ve decided. I’m going to have to have another baby and have more maternity leave because coronavirus has s**t all over this one.’
Reaction: Many viewers were unimpressed to see Ellie and Izzi back together again despite them both living in different households
A spokesperson for Gogglebox told The Sun Online: ‘Most of the families live together but where they don’t, they are complying with PHE [Public Health England] social distancing guidelines.
‘Gogglebox will only film with families where it’s safe to do so. The health and safety of our cast and crew is paramount.’
Under current guidelines, Britons are told not to visit family members who live outside their homes in order to slow the spread of the virus.
Official advice from Public Health England states: ‘Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media.’
Surprise: Fans of the show were expecting to see Ellie joined by her boyfriend Nat who had previously taken Izzi’s place during the coronavirus lockdown