The 77-year-old – one half of couple Mick and Di, who had been on the show since season one – died over the weekend after a short battle with throat cancer.

Mick, who will not be returning to the program when he begins filming next month, revealed his wife had kept his diagnosis mostly private, having been treated for nine weeks at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst before to be transferred to nearby Sacred Heart Hospice, where she died after two weeks.

The 80-year-old man said Daily Mail Australia that Di was fed intravenously in her final days, which she spent surrounded by her loved ones.

“The cancer spread and was inoperable. The only alternative to that was chemo or radiation, but she was far too weak to undergo that,” he said.

“She would have hated to sit here for six months incapacitated. So she made the decision to end it sooner rather than later.

“Part of that decision was thinking about us. A big part of that decision was not to put us through that.

He revealed the pair were “having a normal conversation” when they were approached by a scout for EndemolShine – the creators of Gogglebox – at the opening of an art exhibition in Paddington.

“We took the opportunity – it was a great diversion. What else would we do? he said.

Di and Mick had been married for over 50 years and were native art dealers.

A devotee of white wine and never afraid to speak his mind, Di was undoubtedly one of the show’s most beloved personalities.

Her sharp tongue even once extended to her former Gogglebox castmate, Angie Kent, who she saw appear on various other reality shows after leaving the show.

A joint statement from FOXTEL, Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia confirmed the news on Monday.

The pair’s Gogglebox biography gave fans a little more insight into their history together.

“Di, a former model, convinced Mick to give up his high-flying advertising career to follow their passion for art. They opened their own art gallery and dealership and 30 years later the business is still going strong.