A MOTHER and daughter team who have already made their mark in the world of television are now running their own tattooing and gift business at Pyramids Shopping Centre in Birkenhead.
Viv Woerdenweber, 52, and her 20-year-old daughter Eve shot to national fame after becoming the unexpected stars of the BAFTA-winning Channel 4 series Gogglebox.
The runaway TV smash hit broadcasts viewers’ reactions to popular TV shows using cameras installed in their living rooms.
As they wait for the next series of the smash-hit show to start next month, Viv and Eve, who live in Tranmere, have opened a two-in-one business in St Werburgh’s Square at Pyramids Shopping Centre.
On the ground floor is Viv’s Twilight gift shop selling everything from body jewellery to tarot cards and upstairs on the first floor Eve has her state of the art tattoo studio called Pretty Inked.
Since they opened for business their customers have been shocked to see two such well-known faces greeting them.
Viv said: “We have attracted quite a bit of attention from people who recognise us from the TV show and it’s definitely going to be good for business. However, I like to think people will also come in for what we’re offering at Twilight and Pretty Inked.
“I had a shop called Twilight for quite a few years on Birkenhead Market but as business was so good I decided to move to larger premises in Pyramids Shopping Centre. Both Eve and I feel it’s the place to be because it’s bigger, busier and the shop has a great outlook.
“I’m really proud of the unique range of products we’re offering at Twilight, which includes crystals, incense sticks, silver jewellery and collectible figurines. We also do holistic therapies and tarot cards. In fact, we have something to suit everyone’s tastes.”
Although Twilight also does a nice line in crystal balls, it’s unlikely that even one of these could have foretold the huge success of Gogglebox, which started in March 2013, and has attracted an audience of almost three million by the end of its second series. It landed the BAFTA award for reality and constructed factual programmes earlier this year.
The show is filmed by a five-strong TV crew at Viv and Eve’s semi-detached home in Tranmere and they appear on it alongside Viv’s German husband Ralf, 51, and Eve’s 21-year-old boyfriend Jay, who is working at Twilight while he completes his customer services training.
The family were asked to star in Gogglebox by a TV scout who approached Viv at her shop on Birkenhead Market and Eve talked them all into taking part.
Eve said: “We started filming last year and the crew comes up from London three times a week with the sessions lasting at least six hours a night.
“The whole thing is filmed a week in advance and we’ve all been amazed at how popular it is. The response has been just phenomenal. We’re just a regular family but people who watch it say they love it because we say the same sort of things about the programmes that they are thinking themselves.
“To win the BAFTA was incredible because we just weren’t expecting it. In fact, we were being filmed as the result was announced, which was just unreal.
“We’re due to start the new series next month and I just can’t wait to begin. But in the meantime we’ve been busy getting our two new businesses ready for opening at Pyramids.
“It’s been a dream of mine to have my own tattooing business since I was very young and I have four years of experience already under my belt working in different places including various apprenticeships.
“I can do all sorts of designs from small ones of someone’s name to what’s known as a full sleeve, which means tattoos all the way down a person’s arm.
“Men in the age range from 18 to 40 are our biggest customers although we do get a few women in too.
“To me a tattoo is an expression of who you are as an individual. I have four down my right arm all to do with my family and childhood. When I’m older I’d like to have many more.”
Eve, who has all the correct licenses and insurance for practising her body art, added that her new studio is fitted with all the latest equipment and follows the most stringent cleanliness and hygiene rules.
She said she was delighted to be working alongside her mum Viv in what was very much a family business.
Derek Millar, Commercial Director for Pyramids Shopping Centre, said: “We continue to welcome new business to Pyramids Shopping Centre which is not only a great indication of how well the shopping centre is doing generally but is also important for our shoppers as we are the main shopping hub on the Wirral.
“It’s been great to work with Viv and Eve at Pyramids Shopping Centre and support the start-up of a local, family run business which offers something completely different.
“I know people will enjoy popping in not just for the gifts and tattoos but also to catch up on the latest Gogglebox gossip.”
Giving away one little secret of how Gogglebox is filmed, Viv said: “The crew have become almost part of the family and we get on very well with them.
“But because we live in just a normal sized house things can get a bit crowded when they’re with us.
“While the four of us are being filmed by remotely controlled cameras in the living room the crew – that’s a director, researcher, cameraman, soundman and production runner – are all squashed into the kitchen or sitting on the stairs.
“But it all seems to work very well and they even bring us little presents like cream doughnuts and make us tea and coffee.
“The whole experience is just amazing and we never expected the show to be such a hit or win a BAFTA, which is a huge award. I think it’s so successful because it’s just struck a chord with people and we say what they’re thinking.
“We’re now looking forward to our two new businesses at Pyramids being as big a hit as Gogglebox.”
For more information about Twilight and Pretty Inked go to www.pyramidsbirkenhead.com
