The Gogglebox star died aged 83 after a short illness late last year.
It was the return of a new series – but Gogglebox fans couldn’t help but feel saddened that the show was missing one particular critic, Leon Bernicoff.
The late TV star died after a short illness in December 2017, and viewers quickly took to Twitter to admit it just wasn’t the same without him or his wife June, who quit the show after admitting she just couldn’t do it without him.
As the episode started, fans admitted it was tough to watch without the two Liverpudlians, who were part of the show’s original line up.
‘Will never be the same without you & Leon, June, but of course, we will keep watching your #gogglebox family,’ wrote one upset fan.
‘#Gogglebox doesn’t seem as good without Leon and June,’ agreed another.
Another said: ‘Watching #Gogglebox missing Leon already and love to June who is watching @LeonAndJune’.
While others admitted they would have loved to have heard Leon’s opinion during a segment where This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby interviewed Theresa May.
One tweeted: ‘@LeonAndJune Im only thinking of one thing as I watch Theresea May on #Gogglebox. What Leon said last time, "You can never trust a tory". I wonder what he wudve said now watching her on #Thismorning if he was here. #Gogglebox.’
Another added: ‘I'm sure Leon would've had something sassy to say about the Theresa May's bit, miss him a lot here's to him and June @LeonAndJune #gogglebox’.
But it was the dedication to Leon at the end of the episode that really saw fans well up over his death, aged 83.
As the Channel 4 show came to an end, a black screen appeared with the words: ‘In loving memory of Leon Bernicoff.’
‘So lovely to see the tribute to Leon at the end. Made me [cry] #Gogglebox,’ one viewer wrote.
While another said: ‘Lovely tribute to Leon at the end of #gogglebox - it'll never be quite the same without him....’
A third said: ‘Catching up on gogglebox and it isn't the same without leon. What a beautiful tribute to him ❤’.
Gogglebox continues Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.
