The nation mourned in December of last year as the news broke that octogenarian star of Gogglebox and husband to June, Leon, had passed away after a short illness. June chose not to carry on filming the show, but fans needn’t be downcast, as she’s signed a deal to tell her and Leon’s story in a memoir.
Leon and June: Our Story, is set to be published this September; the book will “look at 60 years together and is a celebration of Leon’s life and their love for one another.” Which doesn’t sound like it will be heart-wrenching at all.
Leon and June were the first couple to be cast for the now hugely popular Gogglebox back in 2013. We enjoyed over four years of Leon playfully tormenting June, winding her up about something trivial, stealing sweets when she wasn’t looking, or saying things we never thought we’d hear an eighty-something say on TV whilst in the comfort of his own living room.
June still interacts with the couple’s near-on 250k twitter followers on a daily basis. She said ‘Leon often said he’d like to write our story. Now I can do it for him.’
The book will chronicle how they met, aged 18 at teacher training college in 1955, their fight to marry (Leon was Jewish and June isn’t) and their subsequent life together, ending in finding fame in their seventies.
Editorial Director of Blink Publishing, Kelly Ellis, said, “Their gentle ribbing of each other on Gogglebox and Leon’s cheeky jokes were always the perfect tonic on a Friday evening. Like the rest of the nation, I was bereft at the sad loss of Leon.
“He will be so sorely missed but we hope, together with the wonderful June, we can create a legacy for him that lives on with this incredibly moving book. It will be a true celebration of love, life and friendship as well as a touching tribute to a man who was loved by so many.”
It’s ok to cry. We will too.
(Image: Channel 4)
