icon George Gilbey suddenly passed away at the tender age of 40. The cheeky chap, who starred alongside his mum and dad when the show first aired in 2013, was announced to have died on Wednesday (March 27). Initial reports claimed that Gilbey, from Clacton-on-Sea, had died as a result of a "workplace accident". itself went on to confirm the tragic news of George's passing, after former housemate Ricci Guarnaccio paid tribute to him on his
Social Media channels. Taking to his
Instagram profile, the former reality TV star paid tribute to his co-star. "Breaks my heart to have to write about another loss!" he penned. "George, you are well and truly going to be missed my friend. "You always lit up the room, cared for others and the memories we made I’ll cherish forever, brother," he continued. "From us having the time of our lives coming out of CBB to speaking to you last week, I’m going to hugely miss you ma boiii!" Following the news of his death, we've rounded up everything that has happened in the 24 hours since his passing. A statement from the Gogglebox broadcaster made the news public, and gave sympathies to George's loved ones. "George was part of the Gogglebox family for eight series alongside his mum Linda and stepdad Pete. "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Linda and George's family and
Friends at this very sad time. The family have asked for privacy." Gilbey's death is believed to be the result of accident at his workplace, which he returned to following his stint in the celebrity world. Essex
police confirmed they attended an incident in Shoebury near Southend-on-Sea after a man had died due to a fall. A statement from Essex Police said: "We received a report of an incident at Campfield Road in Shoebury at around 10am this morning (March 27), during which a man who was working at height had fallen and sustained an injury. The ambulance service including air ambulance were in attendance. "Sadly, the man died at the scene. We will continue liaising with partners including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)." George's cause of death has yet to be officially confirmed by one of his representatives. However, a police cordon remains in place at the scene as officers try to piece the events that lead to the star's tragic passing. Police officers remained at the EGL Homecare warehouse where George had been working, with police cars stationed outside the building. The structure, which was having work done to its roof, still can be seen with building equipment on top, whilst a cherry picker vehicle was spotted raised, as Gilbey's co-workers scrambled to check on him and keep him stable as emergency services arrived on the scene. After his death was announced, a number of posts have mysteriously been uploaded to the star's Instagram profile. Some of the posts included a promo for a
Singer called Scarlett Rose, leaving fans confused as to why the account was continuing to post even after George had died. After some initial bewilderment and speculation whether Gilbey's account was hacked, The Mirror revealed that George had several posts scheduled to be uploaded before his tragic death. One eagle-eyed follower also pointed out on a post uploaded just hours before he died: "These are all scheduled posts that George had previously set, it doesn’t need reporting, please just allow all of us family and friends to grieve in peace." This is not the first time George's family has had to go through the horrific experience of grief following a sudden passing. In 2021, stepdad Pete - who also featured on the reality show - also sadly passed. As a result, George's mum Linda is the only surviving member of the Gilbey family to have appeared on Gogglebox. The family had been on the show for eight seasons and immediately won over the hearts of the nation with their down-to-earth takes on the biggest TV shows of the week.