Mum of Channel 4 Gogglebox star George Gilbey pays tribute to 'generous and kind' son

The mother of Gogglebox star George Gilbey, who died after falling from a height at work, has paid tribute to her "generous, funny and kind" son.

The reality TV star from Clacton-on-Sea in Essex had appeared on the Channel 4 show alongside his mother Linda McGarry and stepfather Pete McGarry.

Gilbey died on 27 March after falling in Shoeburyness near Southend-on-Sea.

Speaking to the Clacton Gazette, his mother said he was a "devoted father".

Ms McGarry said: "I'm devastated - he was like my best friend.

"He had the best heart in the world - he was generous, funny and kind, with bundles of charm and buckets of personality."

She said her son had only been back at work for three days when he died.

His stepfather, Pete, died in 2021 after a short illness.

"He just couldn't get over the death of Pete," said Ms McGarry.

"I have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and he took it worse than me.

"George was a real contradiction - he was so funny and so intelligent. A lot of people don't know how intelligent George was.

"He was smart, which allowed him to be quick-witted, and he was loud and outgoing, but at the same time very sensitive. He helped others, but he struggled himself."

A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the incident, and was released on bail.

Essex Police and the Health and Safety Executive continue to investigate.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know