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'Gogglebox' star Chris Ashby-Steed 'was bullied off show'

Stephen and Chris on Gogglebox (Channel 4)
Stephen and Chris on Gogglebox. (Channel 4)

Gogglebox has been slated by the husband of former cast member Chris Ashby-Steed, who claims his partner’s mental health was “shattered” after his experience on the show.

Tony Ashby-Steed spoke out after Gogglebox’s Paige Deville announced that she was leaving the Channel 4 programme, accusing it of “restrictiveness” and claiming it offers “zero aftercare support”.

He posted a string of messages on Twitter, claiming his husband’s former co-star Stephen Webb bullied him off the programme and that the show didn’t do anything to prevent it.

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“Our hearts go out to you @Paige_deville,” he wrote. “The studio stood by and watched Stephen bully my husband Chris off the show and did nothing to stop him. The helped him get his mum on the show behind Chris’s back without even telling him….”

He went on: “And then a couple of weeks before filming, Stephen through [sic] one of his usual diva strops and refused to film with Chris, and would only film with his mum. They did NOTHING!

"Chris was devastated….. then they didn’t contact him once after he was forced off, and I was left to deal with Chris’s shattered mental health.”

“Awful people the lot of them. You’re better off away from it, hun xxx," he said.

Chris started starring on Gogglebox in 2013. In 2018 he was replaced with Webb’s mother, Pat.

Deville quit the show last week, telling her Twitter followers: “It’s been an experience but one I cannot continue with due to long hours of filming, restrictiveness, control of our actions and opinions & zero aftercare support but hey who cares about ex cast, their NTA winners.”

Paige Deville has quit the show. (Channel 4)
Paige Deville has quit the show. (Channel 4)

A show spokesperson told Yahoo after Deville's exit: "The welfare of contributors – past and present – is of paramount importance and robust protocols are in place to support contributors before, during and after taking part in the series.”

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Yahoo has contacted Channel 4 and a representative for Webb for comment.

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