Gogglebox Australia season 21 is hitting our screens next week, and viewers will be delighted to see Sarah Marie Fahd back in the hot seat alongside her husband Matty Fahd and their bestie Jad Nehmetallah.
Sarah Marie has been absent for two years due to maternity leave, but has seen her DM’s flooded with messages from fans begging her to come back ever since.
“Now that I am coming back, the response has been incredible. Everyone’s been so excited, including myself,” she tells Chattr. “I’ve missed being on…it’s a perfect time to be back.”
Sarah Marie Fahd loves the positive Arab representation on Gogglebox
The family will be joined by their kids Malik and Lyon, and representing a mix of Filipino and Lebanese heritage is something Sarah Marie doesn’t take lightly. In this current climate, being part of positive Arab-Australian representation on mainstream Aussie TV is a big deal.
“When it comes to seeing someone like yourself on TV growing up, we didn’t have anyone that looked like us or sounded like us, unless it was your stereotypical kind for comedic purposes,” she explains.
“My mum is Filipino, my dad is Lebanese, mixed religious backgrounds as well. My father is Muslim, my mother is Catholic, my husband [is] Lebanese, and being able to see people like us on TV, it’s not just been important for us personally and my kids to be able to see that, but the response we’ve had from other people, whether they be Lebanese or not.”
She adds that it’s important to have positive Arab representation on TV, “now more than ever”, and relishes in the chance to break away from stereotypes. The family love showing off their “humour” and “normalcy”, especially now their kids have joined the show.
“People still often confuse being Lebanese or Arab with a specific religion, but Arab culture is diverse. there are Christian Arabs, Muslim Arabs, and people who don’t follow any religion at all,” Sarah Marie explains. “It’s great to share this with audiences so they can learn and gain a better understanding of our community in a positive way.”
“I think it’s all about learning and people accepting different nationalities.”
Was it a hard decision for Matty and Sarah Marie Fahd to include their kids?
Gogglebox Australia is known as one of Australia’s more wholesome reality TV shows, with much less manufactured drama, than say, MAFS.
For the Fahd family, having their kids join them on the couch was a big decision. Sarah Marie says she knew the TV show was a “safe space” and also trusts the fans.
“We trusted the show. Otherwise, we would never have had the kids on the show [with us],” she says. “It is the type of place where I’m like, okay, I can have my kids there, and they’re well looked after on the couch with us, even the fans of the show are absolutely incredible.”
“It’s such a positive show to be part of that, I was happy for them to be on it.”
Gogglebox Australia returns February 20 at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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