Celebrity Gogglebox stars in tears watching emotional Big Boys coming out scene

John Whaite called the moment ‘a masterclass in good parenting’

The stars of Celebrity Gogglebox were left in tears after watching the coming out scene from Big Boys.

Friday (1 July) night’s episode of the Channel 4 series was a Pride special and saw a group of LGBTQ+ celebrities and their loved ones tune into the week’s biggest shows.

The episode closed off with the cast watching sitcom Big Boys, which is based on the life of comedian Jack Rooke (played by Dylan Llewellyn). You can read The Independent’s review of the show here.

In the final episode, Jack comes out to his mum Peggy (Camille Coduri), with Gok Wan telling Fearne Cotton: “I feel like I want to hold your hand” as they prepared to watch.

“I’m gonna cry,” Heartstopper’s Joe Locke said.

The series prompted the show’s stars to discuss their own coming out stories, with Scott Mills saying: “I remember having this chat with my mum so well.”

“I mean, it is nerve wrecking. I ran away for a few hours, didn’t I, in a field,” Rylan Clark recalled to his own mother.

“When I told my mother, she said, ‘You’re not going to wear my dresses, are you?’” Ian “H” Watkins from Steps said.

When Jack told his mum he was gay, Nick Grimshaw’s niece Liv and Strictly star John Whaite were left in tears.

Nick Grimshaw’s niece Liv cried watching the scene (Channel 4)

“It’s so close to the bone,” Wan said, while Locke added: “I just want to give him a big hug.”

“I feel really emosh,” H said, with his bandmate Claire Richards saying: “I know, I’ve got to get my tissue out.”

Yasmin Finney told her Heartstopper co-stars: “Oh my god, I just got goosebumps.”

In the scene, Peggy reveals that his dad had suspected Jack may be gay before he died, then telling her son that she doesn’t care what his sexuality is.

An emotional Whaite called it “a masterclass in good parenting” while his Strictly partner Johannes Radebe cried next to him. The pair then toasted to “the queer kids”.

“This is the best response ever,” Nick Grimshaw said.

Celebrity Gogglebox airs Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4.

The Independent is the official publishing partner of Pride in London 2022.