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An emotional episode of Gogglebox aired on Channel 4 last night, as the show\u2019s participants gave their reaction to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.<\/p>\n
News broke quite suddenly last week that Her Majesty had died at the age of 96, leading to an overwhelming outpouring of emotion and tributes to her remarkable life.<\/p>\n
She was the longest-reigning British monarch in history, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee (marking 70 years on the throne) just this summer, and was deeply admired by many people across the country for her service.<\/p>\n
That was reflected in last night\u2019s Gogglebox (now available to watch on All 4), where several of the pundits couldn\u2019t hide their grief upon learning of her death, hailing her accomplishments across a long, successful life.<\/p>\n
Amid a stream of tears, Jenny said: \u201cWhen she first took over, she said be it a long reign or a short reign, she would work \u2019til the end. And that\u2019s what she did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary was also seen crying as she expressed concern that the country has lost an aspirational figure, who many have looked towards for comfort and guidance for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the problem: we don\u2019t have a role model now,\u201d she began. \u201cThere\u2019s nobody of her stature in our public life that we can admire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary went on to say, in a conversation with her husband Giles, that the newly appointed King Charles III wouldn\u2019t fill the void left in her heart, calling for another strong woman to inspire the next generation.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cA female role model, I was thinking of. We need a female role model. I mean, who else is there? No one. She\u2019s incomparable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fellow Goggleboxers Stephen and Daniel were also shaken by news of Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s passing, claiming to have goosebumps as the national anthem played on BBC News.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew that was coming, but it\u2019s still quite shocking, isn\u2019t it?\u201d said Stephen.<\/p>\n
Marcus added: \u201cShe\u2019s the country\u2019s queen, but she\u2019s still somebody\u2019s mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and that\u2019s the lot who I feel sorry for\u2026 I have sympathy for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Siddiqui family raised the point that Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s speech as the COVID-19 pandemic drove us into lockdown was far more comforting and moving than anything that politicians had to say.<\/p>\n
The strength of feeling around the late Queen has been clear to see from the enormous number of people gathering in London this weekend to pay their respects, with a miles-long queue weaving through the capital to see her lying in state.<\/p>\n
At the time of writing, attendees face a wait of 16 hours or longer, but many are happy to do it as a demonstration of their gratitude to a formative figure in their lives.<\/p>\n