Gogglebox star Mary Killen had a secret life as a model in her younger days, before finding fame with husband Giles Wood on the Channel 4 show.
The married couple have won the hearts of viewers with their unique and quirky take on the latest TV, as well as their sweet ‘nutty’ nickname for each other.
Mary and Giles, who live in Wiltshire, made their debut on Gogglebox in 2015, and have a devoted fan following, who were thrilled to discover the mother-of-two was previously a model.
Mary is now an author and a columnist, writing regularly for The Spectator, as well as penning five books, including How the Queen Can Make You Happy in 2012 and How to Live With Your Husband in 1997.
The couple met when they were both 21 - Mary was a model when she first began dating Giles, who was studying at Wimbledon Art School.
Their ages have never been revealed on Gogglebox, but it was confirmed they have been married for more than 30 years, and share two grown-up daughters, who no longer live at their sprawling country home.
Mary soon ditched modelling to pursue a hugely successful career as a writer, and in her column for The Spectator, she discussed her life now she’s in the spotlight.
“Thanks to Stephen Fry I had never wanted to be on television. Around the time Fry made the transition from print to screen, and hence real fame, he wrote a piece lamenting the irreversible step he had taken,” she began.
“The public’s reaction is entirely benign. People approach me, their faces wreathed in smiles. ‘You’re Mary from Gogglebox, aren’t you? I just want to say - your husband makes us laugh,” Mary shared.
Giles has previously shared throwback photos on Instagram of him and Mary from the 1980s, and in one black-and-white picture, the couple look like they’ve barely aged.
“Throwback shots, Giles and Mary, circa 1986,” he captioned the snaps.
In one photo, Mary, who is wearing a black trouser suit, gazes adoringly at her husband, who she affectionately calls “nutty”.
“Mary looks no different,” one follower commented.
“Mary is the perfect 50/50 of Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks,” another added.
In recent years, a photograph of a model purporting to be Mary has been going viral, and in 2020, she was forced to deny it was her and was in fact model Susan Shaw.
The picture, taken in the 1970s, began to circulate, showing the attractive woman posing in a mini skirt, turtleneck and platform knee-high boots, with many claiming it was the Gogglebox star.
However, a rep for the Channel 4 show stated: “We have checked with Mary and although hugely flattered, it is not her. It is a model called Susan Shaw.”
