For the past few seasons, Gogglebox Australia fans have become used to seeing Sarah Marie and Matty Fahd, on the couch with their friend Jad Nehmetallah. But now, they’ll have to make room for one more, with Sarah and Matty welcoming a baby boy, Malik, last November.
“Malik’s going well,” Sarah, 32, tells TV WEEK. “I’ve had some problems breastfeeding, but besides that, it’s been amazing – it’s an overwhelming experience becoming a mother.”
Becoming new parents has at times taken a toll on Gogglebox stars.
(Image: Lifestyle)Having struggled to fall pregnant, Malik was a miracle for the couple.
“It’s a whole new ball game, a whole new world,” Sarah says. “I love being a mum now, but it has been hard. It’s the toughest thing we’ve ever done, and I didn’t realise the extra problems you face. No-one tells you about it all.”
While Matty and Sarah describe Malik as a “dream baby”, the pair agree it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
“There are hard days and hard times, and it can be hard to function, but it’s all worth it,” Matty, 32, says.
“Meeting Malik was the best day of my life.”
Malik’s going to make one cute addition to the Gogglebox couch.
(Image: Instagram)For Sarah, the first few months have been a roller-coaster as she admits to struggling with breastfeeding.
“It’s been the toughest thing for me,” she says. “I wanted to breastfeed, but I’ve had so many issues. If you made a list of every problem you can have, I’ve had it: mastitis, cysts, blocked ducts… I’ve had to see specialists and doctors – it’s been tough.”
The difficulties have taken a toll on the new mum and left her feeling less than confident.
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“I’ve started talking out about it, because I want to share with people what I’ve been going through,” Sarah says.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of women who have come back to me and shared their experience. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one suffering.”
And as if adapting to life with a new baby isn’t hard enough, Matty and Sarah recently bought their first home.
“We wanted to make our lives as stressful as possible,” Matty jokes.
“We had a baby, bought a house, moved in, and then started filming Gogglebox, so it’s been intense and stressful.”
Family pet Bane love his baby brother.
(Image: Instagram)With the pressure of a new baby, did the parents consider leaving Gogglebox to focus on their family?
“If it were ever to have a negative effect on our health or our baby, we’d have to reconsider staying on Gogglebox,” Matty says.
“But for now, Malik is chilled. We’re blessed with him, he’s a good sleeper and good eater. At the moment, we’re feeling good, but we’re not looking too far ahead.”
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Sarah echoes those thoughts.
“We were happy to keep going with the show,” she says. “We’re laidback parents, so that helps, and didn’t want to leave. We figured we’d play it by ear each season and see how we feel.”
While Matty, Sarah and Jad will all be back for the new season of Gogglebox Australia, a few familiar faces will be missing. The Jackson family from Sydney, and best friends Adam Densten and Symon Lovett from Melbourne, have all confirmed their exit from the show.
“The Jacksons have that many kids, it must get tiring after a while, doing that week in, week out,” Matt says.
“They probably want to change up their routine. I think sometimes you just need a refresher. They each have their reasons for deciding not to continue with Gogglebox Australia, but I understand that sometimes you want a change.”
The happy trio
(Image: Instagram)For fans, the addition of baby Malik to Sarah and Matty’s couch should more than make up for the loss of the Gogglebox Australia stalwarts who’re leaving.
“I just hope Australia won’t be too cringey watching me breastfeed on TV!” Sarah says with a laugh.
