Craig Cash felt Caroline Aherne’s ghost on Gogglebox

Craig Cash felt Caroline Aherne’s ghost on ‘Gogglebox’.

Caroline - who co-wrote and starred with Craig in ‘The Royle Family’ - died in 2016 aged 52 after being diagnosed with lung cancer but her “presence” can still be felt by Craig, who had she asked to take her over for her as the narrator on the Channel 4 show.

The 62-year-old actor told the Radio Times magazine: “She’d asked me if I could fill in for her as she wasn’t well. When she took weeks off for treatment, I’d fill in as and when.

“Then, when she died, they asked me if I’d carry on doing it. In a way, it was like a gift from Caroline.

“It was bittersweet at first, because I’d go in and it felt like she was there. We recorded it in the same space and I know it sounds weird, but I could feel a sort of presence.”

Craig understands why bosses wanted Caroline to narrate ‘Gogglebox’, noting the show has the “same vibe” as their BAFTA winning sitcom which was focused on a working class family and their reaction to “the telly”.

He said: “I can see why they wanted Caroline in the first place, and then me, because it’s got that same vibe to it — it’s about families watching the telly and commenting on people and slagging them off or being thrilled."

The ‘Sunshine’ star thinks the popular show - which sees a groups from all over the UK from a diverse array of backgrounds catch up on the box's best offerings - took the concept “in a completely new direction”.

He added: “It feels very much like they’ve picked up our ball and run in a completely new direction.”