Who are Leon and June Bernicoff? Loved-up Gogglebox couple were together for over 60 years
Leon and June were together for over 60 years before he died (Picture: Channel 4) Gogglebox fans are..
Gogglebox fans are devastated at the news that series favourite Leon Bernicoff has passed away aged 83.
June and Leon had been together for six decades and were firm favourites with fans of the Channel 4 reality show.
June, 78, and Leon, 83, met when June was just 18 years old at a dance at a teacher training college.
Apparently, it was love at first sight for the pair – but not necessarily smooth sailing.
So deeply saddened at the passing of our dear, dear Leon. He was and always will be the grandfather of #gogglebox – an absolute star who always made me laugh with his sharp wit and unshakable opinions. Much love and strength to June and the Bernicoff family. pic.twitter.com/hFJdkNDBd1
— Tania Alexander (@Tanialalexander) December 23, 2017
Leon told the Daily Record that his Jewish family weren’t keen on June due to her being raised Catholic.
‘My parents in particular resented it,’ he revealed.
‘It was heartbreaking. We ended up having a very unromantic proposal. June was screaming at me saying, “Are you going to marry me or not?” It was awful.’
But despite the rocky start to their relationship, they certainly managed to work it out, and were together for more than 60 years before Leon’s death.
When asked by the Liverpool Echo what the secret to their long-lasting love is, Leon said: ‘She’s gorgeous.’
June added: ‘We do a lot of things together but have our separate interests too. I do tai chi two mornings a week and Leon plays bridge. And of course Leon loves football, which I’m not interested in.’
Leon quipped: ‘If she supported a team that wasn’t Everton, I wouldn’t have married her.’
The stars of the series don’t actually make as much as you’d think – each family who takes part is reportedly given a monthly allowance of £1,500 for their troubles – which is split between family members taking part at their own discretion.