Gogglebox’s Matty Fahd on walking away from TikTok and getting his family life back

For Gogglebox Australia’s Matty Fahd, leaving one of the biggest jobs in Australian media came down to what he was missing at home.

“My wife feels like she's got a new husband who says yes to things like coaching the kids' soccer team, doing school pickups, and contributing as a dad,” Fahd told Mediaweek's Newsmakers podcast.

“We had to sacrifice a lot in the early days of our kids because I just wasn't around.”

Before Gogglebox, Fahd spent 18 years working in media, moving through agencies and publishing before joining TikTok Australia. Then came the point where his corporate career, creator work, television commitments, and family life simply couldn't all fit into the same week.

Ahead of Gogglebox Australia’s return in a new Sunday night slot from 23 August, Fahd joined the Mediaweek podcast to talk about his years behind the scenes in media, his time helping build TikTok Australia’s commercial operation, and why he eventually walked away from a job he had always wanted.

From tear sheets to TikTok

Long before Fahd became a familiar face on Gogglebox, he worked in the media industry.

“I had an 18-year career in the media industry. I started back at OMD in 2009 straight out of a marketing commerce degree,” Fahd said.

“My main role was tearing out tear sheets and sending them to clients to prove that their ads actually ran in the newspaper.”

Fahd went on to work in agencies and publishing before joining TikTok Australia, where he most recently served as head of partnerships and brand.

He arrived when TikTok's local operation was still relatively small.

“I was really fortunate to join TikTok in the early days, when there were fewer than a hundred employees, and I got to grow their sales team into the behemoth it is today.”

At the same time, Fahd's own profile was growing. Alongside Gogglebox, he was building a creator business and taking on commercial partnerships.

Eventually, something had to give.

‘I survived 24 hours at a time’

The workload had started eating into Fahd's weekends.

“I'd get to the weekends, and I'd have to fill my organic content. Then I'd have to fill my branded content, spend Sunday editing, and then go back to Monday,” he said.

“I survived 24 hours at a time. I didn't see my kids as much as I'd like to. So I was in a really fortunate position to make that decision.”

That decision was to leave TikTok and become a full-time creator.

“It was a huge gamble at the time to step away from a high-paying corporate gig in the company that I always wanted to work for.”

The move gave Fahd something his old schedule couldn't: more time at home.

It also gave his wife, Sarah Marie, more room to concentrate on her own career.

“The change has allowed her to earn more money and to better her career, which collectively, as a household, has put us in a really nice position,” Fahd said.

Back on the couch

Fahd will now return to Gogglebox alongside Sarah Marie, Jad, and the boys as the series moves to Sunday nights.

They'll be joined by Adam and Symon; the Daltons; Lee and Keith; Tim and Leanne; Anastasia and Faye; the Delpechitras; Kevin, Bob and Jared; Milo and Nic; and Mia, Bree and Lainey.

The format isn't changing with the new timeslot. The cast will once again work their way through the week's biggest shows, stories, and watercooler moments.

For Fahd, being part of Gogglebox has remained largely uncomplicated.

“It's been an incredibly positive show. Our fan base is so positive, so lovely,” he said.

“We meet so many amazing people. It's been such an easy experience.”

To hear the full chat with Matty, listen to the latest Mediaweek Newsmakers podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.