Saturday 27 June 2026
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Entertainment /

Celebrities drawn to tears as much-loved otter film makes Gogglebox

Billy and Molly on the shoreline. Photo: National Geographic/Charlie Hamilton James

CELEBRITIES were left in tears after watching the much-loved Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox this week.

Famous faces including actor Michael Sheen, radio presenter Fearne Cotton and The Inbetweeners‘ James Buckley were shown watching the film, which was filmed in Shetland.

The film focuses on Billy and Susan Mail, who came to care for a wild otter – the Molly of the title – who appears outside their house desperate for food.

It became a massive festival success in late 2024, and has since scooped numerous awards – including two Emmys.

Friday night’s Celebrity Gogglebox episode showed a host of well-known personalities – which also included environmentalist Chris Packham – sitting down to watch Billy and Molly.

Cotton called the film “the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life”, while comedian Maisie Adam and former I’m a Celebrity winner Vicky Pattison were both seen crying at a shot of Molly swimming in a ball pit made by Billy.

Other celebrities shown watching the film included former Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, ex-rugby player Joe Marler and TV presenter Denise van Outen.

Susan and Billy told Shetland News in November 2024 that they were initially puzzled by the interest in filming their story, and had never seen it as a possible film.

Billy said he was expecting whatever was filmed to be “a small documentary that wouldn’t be seen by many”.

“We had no idea it would grow to the level it’s grown to,” he added.

‘We never expected it’ – how an otter turned one couple into film stars

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