George Gilbey’s family and friends are struggling to raise enough money for his funeral after he tragically died at work last month.
The Gogglebox star, who died aged 40, fell 80 feet after falling through a skylight while working on the roof of a warehouse in Southend-On-Sea, Essex.
The former Celebrity Big Brother star fell from the roof of EGL Homecare in Shoeburyness and was not wearing a harness.
Friends and family of his have one GoFundMe page to help them with funeral costs and have not been able to reach their target of £5,000.
The funeral date is yet to be confirmed.
George Gilbey’s family and friends are struggling to raise enough money for his funeral after he tragically died at work last month
The Gogglebox star, who died aged 40, fell 80 feet after falling through a skylight while working on the roof of a warehouse in Southend-On-Sea, Essex.
There have currently been 211 donations made, bringing the total to £3,240, after family friend Rob Barlow appealed to help cover costs.
George appeared on the hit TV show alongside his mother Linda McGarry and stepfather Pete.
His sudden death comes less than three years after his stepfather Pete McGarry died of colon cancer at the age of 71.
Police confirmed that George fell and was injured around 10am on March 27. Despite paramedics and air ambulances rushing to the scene, he did not survive.
Friends revealed that George climbed the roof of the building without a harness and when his colleagues begged him to come down, he fell 80 feet through a skylight and landed on the concrete.
A friend told me The sun: ‘George was not in good shape and perhaps should not have worked at all. He was sitting on the roof and the others were shouting at him to come down and be careful.
‘He shouted back that he was fine, even though he was not very stable on his feet.
“He then apparently came through a skylight and fell from the outside of the roof about 80 feet onto the concrete inside.” The friend added that George “didn’t stand a chance.”
The former Celebrity Big Brother star fell from the roof of EGL Homecare in Shoeburyness and was not wearing a harness
Friends and family of his have set up a GoFundMe page to help them with funeral costs and have been unable to reach their target of £5,000
There have currently been 211 donations made, bringing the total to £3,240, after family friend Rob Barlow appealed to help cover costs
George appeared in the hit TV show alongside his mother Linda McGarry (pictured) and stepfather Pete, who died from bowel cancer three years ago
Police confirmed that George fell and was injured around 10am on March 27. Despite paramedics and air ambulances rushing to the scene, he did not survive.
Essex Police announced on March 28 that a man – believed to be a colleague – had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: ‘As part of our ongoing investigation into the death of a man in Campfield Road, Shoebury on Wednesday, March 27, we have arrested a man in his 40s from the Witham area on suspicion of manslaughter due to gross negligence.
‘This is a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive and our investigations are ongoing.’
The family left Gogglebox in 2014 when George entered the Celebrity Big Brother house on rival Channel 5 – which was deemed a rule-breaker by producers – but they were thrilled when viewers returned to the sofa two years later.
George, who had a daughter named Amelie with Gemma Conway in 2016, was part of the fourteenth series of Celebrity Big Brother and even reached the final.
George’s heartbroken relative Sabrina Browning has since shared a tribute to her older brother with Instagram followers.
“My heart is in pieces,” she wrote on Thursday. “You will be so missed, no words can explain the kind and gentle heart you showed to everyone you loved and cared for, thank you for everything, rest in eternal paradise brother.”
Browning also shared a series of photos, including an image of Gilbey holding one of the two TV BAFTA Awards that Gogglebox won after being named Best Reality and Constructed Factual show in 2014 and 2022.
Days before his death, George had posted a beaming selfie on Facebook sharing that he had purchased a gym membership. He captioned the photo of himself sweating next to another photo of a gym card: “Done. Full membership.’
Channel 4 led the tributes last month, describing George as ‘part of the Gogglebox family’
Gilbey pictured with his ex-partner Gemma Conway, with whom he shares a seven-year-old daughter
Days before his death, George had posted a beaming selfie on Facebook sharing that he had purchased a gym membership. He captioned the photo of himself sweating next to another photo of a gym card: “Done. Full membership.’
Channel 4 led the tributes last month, describing George as ‘part of the Gogglebox family’.
Meanwhile, fellow TV personality Ricci Guarnaccio, who entered the Big Brother house that same year, wrote: “It breaks my heart but George Gilbey, you will be truly missed my friend.
“Always lit up the room, cared for others and the memories we made are ones I will cherish forever, brother. From CBB to speaking to you last week, I’m going to miss you so much ma boiii! I love you GG.”
Mr Guarnaccio, who also starred in Geordie Shore, said George’s death was the result of a ‘workplace accident’.