A COUPLE and their daughter who shot to fame on reality TV show Gogglebox will give up alcohol next month for a cancer charity close to their hearts.

Mark, Betty and Scarlett Moffatt, from Bishop Auckland have signed up for Cancer Research UK’s Dryathlon and are urging others to support the charity’s January campaign.

The trio, who star as sofa TV critics in the Bafta award-winning Channel 4 show, are all too aware of the importance of the charity’s lifesaving research, as Mr Moffatt, 48, was diagnosed with skin cancer when he was 29.

It is always fresh in their minds at this time of year because Christmas Eve marks the date Mr Moffatt was released from hospital.

Mr Moffatt said it was a big shock when what doctors initially believed to be a cyst turned out to be cancerous.

“We hadn’t been expecting it at all, so to hear the ‘big C’ was just terrifying, he said.

"I had never been a sun worshipper or used sun beds so it was a complete shock.”

Surgeons removed all of the cancer and after two weeks in hospital Mr Moffatt was released, just in time to spend Christmas with his wife and daughter, who was just six at the time.

“Scarlett gets stick for her fake tan, but it’s because I’ve had skin cancer that she’s against sun beds,” Mr Moffatt added.

The popular TV family will join ‘dryathletes’ across the UK when they banish the booze for a month.

Miss Moffatt, 24, who will track her progress on Twitter, said: “I’m sure it won’t be easy but staying off the sauce will be worth it if I’m able to raise money for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work and there’s the benefit of 31 hangover-free days.”

The campaign raises money through sponsorship or by dryathletes donating the money which they would have spent on alcohol.

This year, 3,965 people in the North-East embraced Dryathlon, more than twice the number in 2013.

Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK North-East spokesperson, said: “We’re so pleased that the Moffatts are pledging their support for our Dryathlon campaign and we hope that others will follow their example and sign up as soon as possible.

“Every day 40 people are diagnosed with cancer in the North East. Every pound raised by our iron-willed dryathletes will go towards our work in beating 200 types of cancer.”

To sign up visit dryathlon.org