When Kevin, Bob, Jared, and Mia first joined Googlebox in 2022, it was a historic moment. They were the first Indigenous group to appear on the show.
Jared, Kevin, and Mia had all met at university in 2012, and Bob joined the gang in 2017 when he and Kevin began dating.
“We were overwhelmed with excitement to find out we’d be on national TV,” the group told Paramount’s The Water Cooler ahead of their appearance.
“We’re really excited to show Australia how funny Blackfullas are and are keen to use our humour as a catalyst to encourage thought-provoking conversations into loungerooms across the country.”
At the same time, the group made it clear that they were “not here to speak on Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander peoples”, clarifying that “we don’t want to be portrayed in that way”.
“However, it’s exciting for us to be able to showcase the diversity of our views and opinions,” they went on.
“We as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander peoples are often cast as one-dimensional and as all having the same views, but this is a great opportunity for us to challenge that narrative.”
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mia – who works in the tertiary sector managing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collections and Services – said the group would be using “blackfella terms and Aboriginal English slang” on the show.
“So there might be some terms and words the general public haven’t heard before, so hopefully there is an education around some of the slang which is used,” the proud Yuwaalaraay/Gamilaraay woman who was raised at Lightning Ridge, explained.
“And we hope blackfellas watch the show and it encourages more mob to apply for some of these television shows because we do bring a unique perspective.”
Jared, meanwhile, a Wakka Wakka and South Sea islander man who grew up on Butchulla country, Qld, told the publication he was “way too excited” about appearing on Gogglebox.
“It feels very surreal that it is all actually happening … Bob and I used to watch the show and really enjoyed it,” he explained.
Inside Bob and Kevin’s family life
Fans of the show were given a greater insight into the dynamic between Bob – a Kamilaroi man with ancestral ties to St George, Qld – and Kevin – a Wakka Wakka and South Sea Islander man who works as a university lecturer – when the duo gave a candid interview to the Bounty Parents and Aptamil Toddler parenting podcast Every Parent Has a Story to Tell in 2024.
The couple co-parent Bob’s two children with their mother.
“I met their mother when I was living in a little country town,” Bob told the podcast hosts. “Together we had our children, and we were together for a number of years, and then we separated.
“From there, Bob went on his little journey of exploring his sexual identity and who he is as a person, which took a minute.”
“Then next thing you know, there’s Kevin – and so we’ve been co-parenting alongside the boys’ mother, who’s an amazing person.”
Kevin told the show that he hadn’t been looking to “jump into a family dynamic” when the pair met, but that things quickly changed.
“Once I met Bob and we started to explore what that family dynamic was, it was a no-brainer for me,” he explained.
“Like, Bob and I hit it off really fast. We have a lot of similarities, both professionally and personally. It made the transition into that family dynamic very easy.”
Bob explained that while, naturally, co-parenting challenges remain, he and his former partner were aligned on putting the children first.
“No matter what, we would always try and centre the kids in any decision; we always brought it back to the kids,” he explained.
“We don’t all agree on the same things all the time; it’s not that fluffy. There are some things we don’t agree on, but we always bring it back to what’s beneficial for the kids.”
Kevin, Bob, and Jared return to Gogglebox for Season 22 of the show, which returns to screens on Thursday, 28 August at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Mia opted not to return to the show in 2025, reportedly after the birth of her baby; however, she remains firm friends with the others and features regularly on their social media posts.
Read more about the stars of Gogglebox below:
- Inside Gogglebox’s Sarah Marie and Matty Fahd’s adorable family
- You won’t believe why Milo and Nic almost turned down the opportunity to star on Gogglebox
- Everything we know about Faya and Anastasia’s hilarious and heartwarming friendship
- How Gogglebox’s Adam was “lost” until he met his wife Rachel
- Inside Gogglebox stars Lee and Keith’s 40-year marriage
- Gogglebox’s Tim and Leanne open up about “dark side” of fame
- From day jobs to wedding bells: Meet Gogglebox’s Delpechitra family
- Gogglebox stars Mia, Bree & Lainey lift the lid on life off-screen
