Gogglebox stars' last tweet reveals Leon and June Bernicoff were looking forward to christmas before he died

Bernicoff died in hospital after a short illness at the age of 83

Veteran Gogglebox star Leon Bernicoff had been eagerly anticipating spending Christmas with his wife and co-star June the night before he died.

The retired teacher died in hospital after a short illness on Saturday at the age of 83, Channel 4 and production company Studio Lambert said in a statement.

The final post from the couple’s Twitter account wished fans "goodnight" just hours before he passed away.

“Goodnight Folks! Christmas is almost here, let's all try and remember it's the Season on Goodwill however fraught we get!!,” it read.

Mr Bernicoff, a committed Everton fan, and his wife were one of the first couples to join the show's cast when it launched in 2013. The pair met in 1955 with the couple marrying five years later.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sad news that after a short illness Gogglebox's Leon Bernicoff passed away in hospital earlier today," Channel 4 and production company Studio Lambert said in a statement.

"Leon and his wife June were the first members of the public to be cast for Gogglebox back in early 2013, and they soon grew to become much-loved voices during the course of the show's ten series to date.

"Leon's unique personality and sharp wit endeared him to fans of the show, as he contributed fully to Gogglebox's reputation as a programme full of warm humour and unvarnished opinion.

"To those of us that knew him personally, Leon was a man of unwavering principles who exerted a distinct paternal presence both on and off screen. He will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family; cast and crew."

Gogglebox is a popular reality show which has aired on channel 4 since 2013 and simply features people sitting in their living rooms watching and responding to TV programmes.

The Bafta-winning show, which has had ten series, has been adopted by television networks worldwide including America, Australia, Belgium and Norway.

Discussing the show, Farah Ramzan Golant, the boss of All3Media, said: "Everyone loves watching TV and talking about TV. But the show isn't really about TV.

“The show is about people's lives, their relationships, their living rooms and the way children and parents talk about TV. It's near real-time because you're watching what happened in the seven days before. That's quite priceless.

“It captures a cultural response to something that's happening in the world. Gogglebox shows TV in people's living rooms is alive and well and thriving. It is asserting the indispensable role of TV in the fabric of people's lives."

Bernicoff is survived by wife June, two daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.