Gogglebox NZ: The remaining seven households revealed

  • 19/09/2018

Gogglebox NZ, The Kiwi version of a BAFTA-winning show about on ordinary people watching TV is about to make its debut for New Zealand audiences.

As anyone who's seen one of the many global iterations of the show will know, the success of this unusual concept relies on a cast of funny, honest and opinionated armchair critics.

So while we wait to be invited into the living rooms of some of the country's biggest telly-lovers, here's a sneak peek at the final seven households taking part.

Jem and Estelle.
Jem and Estelle. Photo credit: MediaWorks

Jem & Estelle:

Besties Jem, 27, and Estelle, 37, met on the roller derby circuit. Jem represented New Zealand in the sport, but injured her ankle after the 2014 World Cup and has yet to return to actively competing. She now coaches the Broadside Brawlers.

Estelle's other passions include craft beer, gaming and her various animals including three dogs  brother and sister Lex and Zara, and an SPCA special called Nellie.

Jem and Estelle both hold corporate positions and get their thrills from watching telly, their numerous pets and tattoos. The pair say they're like loud, outgoing, opinionated sisters.

The Patels - Tarun, Pranit, Jayna and Dylan.
The Patels - Tarun, Pranit, Jayna and Dylan. Photo credit: MediaWorks

The Patels:

Tarun, Pranit, Jayna and Dylan - all in their mid-late twenties - are mates who grew up in Wellington and have flatted together for years.

Customer Support Manager Tarun and Theatre Nurse Jayna are married  and it was by no means a small soiree  1000 people attended their wedding!

Jayna's claim to fame is that she can skull a beer faster than her husband, while Tarun is still dining out on the time he ran a hip-hop blog.

Pranit and Dylan both work in banking. Pranit loves a well-cut suit, while Dylan can be found in any one of his eight much-loved Liverpool FC shirts - outside of office hours, of course.

This is a tight-knit group of mates who genuinely enjoy hanging out together. The banter flows freely between them and there is never a dull moment.

The Solas - Simeti, Lina, Serenity, Chris, Seira.
The Solas - Simeti, Lina, Serenity, Chris, Seira. Photo credit: MediaWorks

The Solas:

The Sola family live together in a house full of laughter - alongside their two very spoilt cats, Mercy and Graceson.

Now in their 50s, Chris and Seira are parents to Lina, 26, and Serenity, 20. Also included in the group is Simeti, Lina's high school sweetheart and husband of three years.

Chris and Seira are both Pastors at The Dream Centre, a church based in Papatoetoe, where Chris' sermons are regularly televised.

Chris' heritage is Samoan (Ti'avea, Aleipata) and Maori (Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa and Ngāti Kuia, Ngāi Tahu) and Seira's heritage is Samoan (Luatuanuu and Samusu). Faith and culture are two important pillars in this family.

Lina is currently at Bible College, while Serenity studies business, but they're also very social media savvy. They love to post and vlog on their Facebook page 'Keeping up with the Solas', which has garnered over 93,000 followers.

The Widgers - Garland, Rayna, Suzie.
The Widgers - Garland, Rayna, Suzie. Photo credit: MediaWorks

The Widgers:

Garland, 83, Suzie, 50, and Rayna, 17, are three generations of fun-loving telly watchers.

Rayna is an independent young woman who learnt to cook at the age of four. She is an art student and proud owner of pet lizard Lazlo, who when fully grown will measure one metre long.

Her mum Suzie works as an early childhood lecturer whilst completing her PhD. Her quiet exterior belies an exotic past - as a teenager she lived in a hippie hangout in the Australian desert called the Mung Bean Camp.

Suzie's mother Garland is a retired school Principal and JP. A mum to three and grandmother to four, Garland adores Winston Peters, and possesses an amazing zest for life.

She remembers the neighbours crowding into her living room when her family was one of the first in the street to get a television set.

Ange and Tinks.
Ange and Tinks. Photo credit: MediaWorks

Ange & Tinks:

Telly-lovers Ange, 50, and Tinks , 62, have been married for 15 years. They love nothing more than to be cuddled up on the couch with a glass of wine or a vodka and tonic for an evening of binge-watching their favourite shows.

Australian-born Ange, who works in the beauty industry, fell in love with Tinks, a luxury car salesman, on a visit to New Zealand 20 years ago and never looked back.

The other key member of this group is the couple's much-loved fur child, a West Highland Terrier called Louie. His nickname is 'Guacamole', because "he's so delicious!", according to Ange.

A variety of programmes are appointment viewing for this vibrant couple  from Married at First Sight to 7 Days and long-time favourite Country Calendar.

When they're not working or watching telly, Ange and Tinks can be found relaxing at their beach house or indulging their love for motorsport, both as spectators and competitors.

The Fletchers - David, Toby, Zara and Max.
The Fletchers - David, Toby, Zara and Max. Photo credit: MediaWorks

The Fletchers:

Zara, David, and their two sons Toby and Max love settling in on the couch for some quality telly time together as a family.

Committed rugby fans, sales manager David, primary school teacher Zara and their boys never miss an All Blacks game.

David grew up in Dunedin and is an avid Highlanders supporter who often layers up his team shirt with his favourite Hugh Heffner-esque dressing gown. In summer, he slips out of his dressing gown and into his speedos as a volunteer surf lifesaver.

The youngest Gogglebox NZ cast member at 10 years old, Toby, keeps his parents busy in the weekends ferrying him around his various sports activities. Max, 16, is into his gaming and mountain biking.

These guys revel in a good debate and like to joke around. They are a relaxed bunch with a lot of laughs, one-liners and even some cheeky farts.

The Sidnams:

An energetic family of four, the Sidnams fit in their favourite cooking shows, dramas and action movies in between their various travel adventures.

Howard, 50, and Tracey, 48, are parents to teenage sons Nicholas and Jared.

Tracey was taught to cook by her grandfather, and loves to honour the family's Chinese heritage by whipping up a feed of dumplings.

Nicholas is already a talented tennis player at the age of 13. Jared, 16, is the household's resident technology expert, a rising table tennis star and likes to let loose with the occasional game of paintball.

Real estate director Howard is an avid CrossFit fan who can deadlift twice his body weight and entered his first masters competition last year.

Along with the rest of the family, he sees Gogglebox NZ as an interesting new adventure for their gregarious household.

Gogglebox NZ will premiere on Wednesday 19th September at 8.30pm on Three.