Tom Malone Jr reveals surprise new career move after quitting Gogglebox

We didn't see this coming

Author: Nathan KatnoriaPublished 24th Mar 2021

It’s only been a month since Tom Malone Jr quit Gogglebox after over six years on the show, but he’s already announced his next venture, and it’s definitely not what we were expecting.

Tom has been unveiled as the new Head of Chair Testing for shelving and storage company BiGDUG and actually, his new role does kind of make sense when you think about it. After all, he has spent most of career on the sofa!

As Head of Chair Testing, Tom will be trying out a number of seats and rating them based on comfort on social media.

BiGDUG announced the news on Instagram with a video of the TV star hard at work. In the video, he says, "Want to know what it's like to be a grown man paid to test chairs? Check this out.

“So, after all my years on Gogglebox getting really good at sitting on my arse, BiGDUG offered me a new job sitting on my arse. It's a hard life being a chair tester but you know we make it work."

Tom announced he was leaving the Channel 4 show last month as he told fans, 'So after 6 and a half years it’s finally time to put down the remote and say goodbye to Gogglebox.

'I’ve loved every minute and I’m eternally grateful to Channel 4 and Studio Lambert for allowing me to be a part of the show. But new opportunities are knocking on the door and it’s time to explore them.'

Although Tom waved goodbye to the Gogglebox sofa, his parents Tom Sr and Julie will remain on the show with his younger brother Shaun.

Check out the real life jobs of the Gogglebox cast:

Ellie and Izzi Warner

Sisters Ellie and Izzi Warner from Leeds first joined the show back in 2015.


Izzi welcomed her baby girl, Bessie Rose, in February 2020, and after making a living as a nail technician has now qualified to be a mortgage adviser.


Meanwhile, Izzi's sister Ellie is a hairdresser!

Pete and Sophie

Brother and sister duo Pete and Sophie Sandiford first joined the cast in 2017. Whilst Sophie dresses shop windows for a living, brother Pete works for an insurance company.

The Siddiqui family

The Siddiqui family, made up of Umar, Baasit and their dad Sid, have become Gogglebox legends since joining the show back in series 1.


Dad Sid is a retired engineer, he also worked for the NHS for 37 years. Baasit is an IT teacher in a secondary school whilst Umar has also works for the NHS, he has been a Biomedical Scientist in Microbiology at the Royal Derby Hospital for 17 years.

The Malone family

The Malone family, made up of Tom, Julie, Tom Jnr and Shaun, are one of the most popular families with fans. They first joined the cast in 2014.


As often documented on the show, Tom Jr is a professional dancer, but he also works as a freelance model! In March 2021, he announced he would be a chair-tester for an office supplies company, before quitting Gogglebox to pursue other career options.


His brother Shaun is a football coach, whilst dad Tom is a lorry driver and mum Julie is a receptionist.

Stephen Webb and Daniel Lustig

Stephen Webb has appeared on every single series of Gogglebox, and in 2019 his husband Daniel Lustig joined him! The pair chose to leave in 2023, with Stephen announcing he was set to appear on the 2024 series of Dancing On Ice. Unfortunately for Stephen, he was forced to withdraw from the show after breaking his ankle.


The pair both work as hairdressers.

Dave and Shirley

Welsh couple Dave and Shirley, who have been married for over 40 years, first joined the show back in 2015.


Shirley works in retail and Dave is a factory worker.

Tremaine, Twaine and Tristan

Tremaine, Twaine and Tristan, brothers from Bristol, joined back in 2016, but the trio didn't appear on series 15.


Whilst Tremaine is a chef, Twaine is a winger for Hereford FC and Tristan used to be a semi-professional footballer for Bristol FC but is now playing for Bitton AFC.

Giles and Mary

Gogglebox fans fell in love with Giles and his wife Mary when they joined the cast in 2015.


Although it's not known what he does for a living, in series 15, Giles revealed he actually retired at the age of 21. Meanwhile, it's understood Mary writes as an 'agony aunt' for an online magazine.


The married couple are also reportedly good friends with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Jenny and Lee

Best friends Jenny and Lee first joined the show on series 4 back in 2014.


Although it's not known what the pair do for a living now, they first became friends when Jenny was a land lady at The Crown Inn in Paull, and Lee was a regular customer!

Sue and Steve

Married couple Sue and Steve first appeared on the show back in 2019.


Steve is a taxi driver in London.

Following his departure from Gogglebox, Tom was forced to deny claims that he quit the show because of his girlfriend Bryony Briscoe.

Some fans had speculated that he quit the show because producers wouldn’t let Bryony star alongside him, leading him to take to TikTok and ask them to stop sending her nasty comments.

In response to a fan asking, “How come you left Gogglebox? The rumour is that you wanted your girlfriend on there and the producers said no”, Tom said, “It’s not that simple to just put someone on with us because of contracts and stuff.

“Bryony has actually never wanted to be on the show. She’s got her own career as a model, she’s a very good model, why would she leave that to come on the show? It’s all rubbish. She’s had a lot of abuse over it so please stop because it’s not fair on her.”

Gogglebox continues every Friday night at 9pm on Channel 4.

Now read:

Gogglebox's Pete Sandiford announces engagement to girlfriend

Original Gogglebox cast: Where are they now?

Do the cast of Gogglebox get paid?

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