Gogglebox star Sid Siddiqui has returned to screens just days after he was signed off from his NHS day job with stress.
Siddiqui, 80, appeared happy and smiling alongside his family as they sat down to watch the latest episode of Celebrity Traitors on the Channel 4 show.
It appears he is continuing to take part in the fly-on-the-wall series while absent from his taxpayer-funded role as a health service environmental manager, which, it is understood, he worked at three days a week.
The role pays a full-time salary ranging from £55,690 to £62,682, meaning he would be earning around £35,000.
Siddiqui, a regular on the reality TV show since 2013, has been on leave from Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust – who are said to have given permission for him to appear on the show while off work – on mental health grounds since July.
A recent study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that mental health and stress are among the top reasons cited by workers for sick leave.
Gogglebox star Sid Siddiqui has returned to screens just days after he was signed off from his NHS day job with stress
Siddiqui, 80, appeared happy and smiling alongside his family as they sat down to watch the latest episode of Celebrity Traitors on the Channel 4 show
Siddiqui’s recent appearances on national television are understood to have caused frustration among some of his NHS colleagues.
One insider at the Trust claimed staff had been left to ‘pick up the pieces’ while Siddiqui is at home ‘on full pay’.
They said: ‘We’re all under massive pressure at work – we’ve hardly got any staff and we’re doing everything we can to keep things going.
‘We get home after a long day, put the telly on and there he is, laughing and joking on Gogglebox.
‘He’s basically sat there with two fingers up at us while we’re picking up the pieces.’
Sources close to Siddiqui insist he has done everything by the book.
He is said to have sought and received permission from both his doctor and his employer to keep filming Gogglebox while off work.
Both are said to have confirmed there was no conflict because the show is unrelated to his NHS role, is filmed outside working hours, and was deemed to be good for his mental health.
It appears he is continuing to take part in the fly-on-the-wall series while absent from his taxpayer-funded role as a health service environmental manager, which, it is understood, he worked at three days a week
A tweet by the NHS trust featuring the Gogglebox star who has been signed off work with stress from the role
Derby-based Siddiqui first joined the show in 2013 and has actively promoted Gogglebox on social media in recent weeks
A source added: ‘He has done all the appropriate checks with his employer and his doctor. They have both signed him off and agreed that whilst he’s off he can continue to film the show.
‘From their point of view Gogglebox is not related to his job. It’s not in his work environment and it’s not during normal working hours. And it’s also good for his well-being.’
It comes as workers are now taking nearly two weeks off ill every year, according to recent analysis from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) show.
Employees were off sick for a record 9.4 days on average over the past 12 months, with mental health one of the top ailments.
This represents a sharp increase from 7.8 days in 2023 when the survey was last carried out. It was also the highest level since the CIPD survey began in 2010.
The CIPD report found minor illnesses were the most common reason for short-term absences with mental health second.
And for long-term absence, mental health was ‘by far’ the biggest cause, typically resulting in four weeks or more off work.
Derby-based Siddiqui, who first joined the show in 2013 alongside sons Baasit, Umar and Raza, is thought to be paid £4,500 a year for Gogglebox.
Derby-based Siddiqui, who first joined the show in 2013 alongside sons Baasit, Umar and Raza, is thought to be paid £4,500 a year for Gogglebox
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Each sofa is paid £1,500 a month – so a household can earn £18,000 a year.
Gogglebox participants are typically filmed twice during the week leading up to each broadcast, capturing their reactions to the latest shows and current events.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Siddiqui’s role involves reducing the NHS Trust’s carbon footprint and implementing sustainability measures across sites serving more than a million people across Derbyshire.
He is said to earn a Band 8a salary, which ranges from £55,690 to £62,682.
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘We’re unable to comment on the personal circumstances of any individual employee.’
A Gogglebox spokesperson said: ‘The welfare of our contributors is always of paramount importance.
‘Whilst it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment on individuals’ health conditions, we can confirm that all necessary medical and employment permissions were given, with full support, for Mr Siddiqui to continue filming the Gogglebox series. Any suggestion to the contrary is categorically untrue.’
