Sandra Martin, who left the Channel 4 show Gogglebox in 2017, has unveiled a new professional endeavour.
The former TV star, 61, said she had not been on benefits for three weeks despite needed them on and off since leaving the hit show.
Sandra now works in a friend’s funeral home in Hastings, Sussex, which means she has moved from Brixton, London, to the seaside.
The grandma stated that she was first given the receptionist position but turned it down because she was afraid it would be “too emotional.”
‘At least for now I’m happy to keep the place clean out of respect for the deceased. I think it will be respectful,’ she told The Sun.
Sandra stated that she was going to begin a course on confidence and communication in preparation for the new post.
Sandra featured on Gogglebox with companion Sandi Bogle from 2013 to 2017, when she left to pursue other employment possibilities, including a stint on Celebrity Big Brother.
Following Sandi’s departure, rumours of a schism between the two began to circulate, making it difficult for Sandra to deal with.
‘It was hard,’ Sandra admitted to The Sun. ‘I had a panic attack.’
Sandra found another acquaintance to join her on Gogglebox, but alleges that her superiors were against having someone with an American accent.
Instead, she opted to continue the programme with her daughter, Chanchez Martin, but the transition was fraught with complications.
Sandra shared: ‘I didn’t want to talk about sex in front of my daughter on the TV, and I was also getting a lot of backlash like, “Where’s Sandi?”’
Sandra eventually left Gogglebox in 2018, although she expressed gratitude to Channel 4 for providing her with a platform.
Despite the apparent rupture, Sandra and Sandi remain close friends, with Sandi asserting that they are still “besties.”
‘No matter what we go through, she’s always got a room here for her, and she’s always got a room for me,’ she told the publication.
Gogglebox is available to stream on the on-demand platform Channel 4.
