A Gogglebox star has been appearing on the Channel 4 show while being signed off from his NHS day job with stress.

Sid Siddiqui, 80, has continued to take part in the fly-on-the-wall series while absent from his taxpayer-funded role as a health service environmental manager, which, it is understood, he worked at three days a week.

The role pays a full-time salary ranging from £55,690 to £62,682, meaning he would be earning around £35,000.

Mr Siddiqui, a regular on the reality TV show since 2013, has been on leave from Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust - who are said to have given permission for him to appear on the show while off work - on mental health grounds since July.

A recent study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that mental health and stress are among the top reasons cited by workers for sick leave.

Mr Siddiqui's recent appearances on national television are understood to have caused frustration among some of his NHS colleagues.

One insider at the Trust claimed staff had been left to 'pick up the pieces' while Mr Siddiqui is at home 'on full pay'.

They said: 'We're all under massive pressure at work - we've hardly got any staff and we're doing everything we can to keep things going.

'We get home after a long day, put the telly on and there he is, laughing and joking on Gogglebox.

'He's basically sat there with two fingers up at us while we're picking up the pieces.'

Sources close to Mr Siddiqui insist he has done everything by the book.

He is said to have sought and received permission from both his doctor and his employer to keep filming Gogglebox while off work.

Both are said to have confirmed there was no conflict because the show is unrelated to his NHS role, is filmed outside working hours, and was deemed to be good for his mental health.

A source added: 'He has done all the appropriate checks with his employer and his doctor.

'They have both signed him off and agreed that whilst he's off he can continue to film the show.

'From their point of view Gogglebox is not related to his job. It's not in his work environment and it's not during normal working hours. And it's also good for his well-being.'

It comes as workers are now taking nearly two weeks off ill every year, according to recent analysis from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) show.

Employees were off sick for a record 9.4 days on average over the past 12 months, with mental health one of the top ailments.

This represents a sharp increase from 7.8 days in 2023 when the survey was last carried out. It was also the highest level since the CIPD survey began in 2010.

The CIPD report found minor illnesses were the most common reason for short-term absences with mental health second.

And for long-term absence, mental health was 'by far' the biggest cause, typically resulting in four weeks or more off work.

Derby-based Mr Siddiqui, who first joined the show in 2013 alongside sons Baasit, Umar and Raza, is thought to be paid £4,500 a year for Gogglebox.

Each sofa is paid £1,500 a month - so a household can earn £18,000 a year.

Siddiqui has actively promoted Gogglebox on social media in recent weeks - cheerfully telling fans last month: 'Guess what boys? Gogglebox is back!'

In a clip posted on Instagram ahead of the September 19 episode, the grandfather appeared on camera with his cat, Rocky, encouraging viewers to tune in.

'Hi everyone - it's Friday and it's Gogglebox tonight,' he said. 'Nine o'clock, Channel 4. You'll see me and him - and a couple of other guys too.

'So give us a wave. We'll probably wave back to you, as well. So enjoy the hour tonight. See you. Bye.'

Gogglebox participants are typically filmed twice during the week leading up to each broadcast, capturing their reactions to the latest shows and current events.

In the most recent episode, broadcast on October 3, Mr Siddiqui is filmed making jokes about BBC show Dragons' Den,

He told his sons: 'I would make a good Dragon but I won't have any money.

'Oh, I love your idea but sorry I don't have anything to give you.'

He was also observed reacting to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's plan to bring in mandatory digital ID.

When Baasit comments: 'I'm surprised it's a digital idea, not just a chip up my bum', Mr Siddiqui jokes: 'That will happen as well.'

An Instagram clip posted on Tuesday to promote an upcoming episode showed Mr Siddiqui waving to the camera, with his son Baasit telling followers how filming had just finished.

Colleagues say his recent TV appearances have caused exasperation among NHS staff.

An insider said: 'We've been told it's all been agreed, that he's allowed to do the show.

'They said they couldn't discuss what illness he's off with and that all the procedures had been followed. To me, that's not the point. It's not about his illness - it's about how it looks to the rest of us who are still here working.

'He's on a sofa on full pay while we're at work. How is that going to look when your colleagues are working their socks off?

'The whole thing just looks bad. Even management admitted they could see how it might be perceived, but they said they'd agreed to it anyway.'

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Siddiqui's role involves reducing the NHS Trust's carbon footprint and implementing sustainability measures across sites serving more than a million people across Derbyshire.

He is said to earn a Band 8a salary, which ranges from £55,690 to £62,682.

Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust said: 'We're unable to comment on the personal circumstances of any individual employee.'

A Gogglebox spokesperson said: 'The welfare of our contributors is always of paramount importance.

'Whilst it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on individuals' health conditions, we can confirm that all necessary medical and employment permissions were given, with full support, for Mr Siddiqui to continue filming the Gogglebox series. Any suggestion to the contrary is categorically untrue.'