The Only Way Is Essex
British reality series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
British reality series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Only Way Is Essex (often abbreviated as TOWIE /ˈtaʊi/) is a British reality television series based in Brentwood, Essex, England. It shows "real people in modified situations, saying unscripted lines but in a structured way."[2] Broadcast on ITV2 from 2010, the series was moved to ITVBe in October 2014.[3] The first series consisted of 10 episodes and ran for 30 minutes, with a Christmas special following later in the year. Due to popularity, the runtime was extended to 45-minute episodes and renewed for a year's airing. On 22 May 2011, the series won the Audience Award at the 2011 BAFTA Awards.
| The Only Way Is Essex | |
|---|---|
Title card from series 28 onwards. | |
| Also known as | TOWIE |
| Genre | Reality television |
| Created by | Ruth Wrigley Tony Wood |
| Starring | Current and former cast |
| Narrated by | Denise van Outen |
| Opening theme | "The Only Way Is Up" by Yazz |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 32 |
| No. of episodes | 396 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
| Running time | 30-35 mins (1–20) 60 mins (specials, series 22–present)[1] |
| Production company | Lime Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV2 (2010–2014) ITVBe (2014–present) |
| Release | 10 October 2010 – present |
On 13 March 2016, ITVBe aired a one-off documentary hosted by former cast member Mark Wright, discussing the history of the series. On 28 February 2017, with the announcement of the cast for the show's twentieth series, it was confirmed that instead of the usual three series per year, ITVBe would only be airing two series, but with more episodes.[4]
| Year | Series | Number of episodes |
Average viewers | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Series 1 | 10 | 977,000 | ITV2 |
| 2011 | Series 2 | 14 | 1,466,000 | |
| Series 3 | 14 | 1,772,000 | ||
| 2012 | Series 4 | 10 | 1,518,000 | |
| Series 5 | 10 | 1,576,000 | ||
| Series 6 | 10 | 1,267,000 | ||
| Series 7 | 10 | 1,441,000 | ||
| 2013 | Series 8 | 12 | 1,379,000 | |
| Series 9 | 12 | 1,386,000 | ||
| Series 10 | 12 | 1,379,000 | ||
| 2014 | Series 11 | 12 | 1,491,000 | |
| Series 12 | 12 | 1,581,000 | ||
| Series 13 | 11 | 1,092,000 | ITVBe | |
| 2015 | Series 14 | 13 | 992,000 | |
| Series 15 | 12 | 910,000 | ||
| Series 16 | 12 | 1,069,000 | ||
| 2016 | Series 17 | 14 | 1,123,000 | |
| Series 18 | 10 | 1,056,000 | ||
| Series 19 | 10 | 1,044,000 | ||
| 2017 | Series 20 | 18 | 1,047,000 | |
| Series 21 | 18 | 898,000 | ||
| 2018 | Series 22 | 10 | 996,000 | |
| Series 23 | 11 | 1,112,000 | ||
| 2019 | Series 24 | 11 | 956,000 | |
| Series 25 | 11 | 991,000 | ||
| 2020 | Series 26 | 18 | 746,000 | |
| 2021 | Series 27 | 11 | 575,000 | |
| Series 28 | 10 | 401,000 | ||
| 2022 | Series 29 | 11 | 600,000 | |
| 2023 | Series 30 | 10 | 125,000 | |
| Series 31 | 11 | – | ||
| 2024 | Series 32 | 11 | – | |
| Series 33 | 11 | – |
This is a list of the main and supporting cast members currently appearing in the series. From series 1 to 3, the main cast received star billing in the opening credits and were credited by their first names.
| Cast member | Duration |
|---|---|
| Lauren Goodger | 2010–2012, 2015–2016 2024–present |
| Amy Childs | 2010–2011 2020–present |
| Harry Derbidge | 2010–2011, 2014 2020–present |
| James "Diags" Bennewith | 2012–present |
| Dan Edgar | 2015–present |
| Chloe Meadows | 2016–present |
| Courtney Green | 2016–present |
| Amber Turner | 2017–present |
| Jordan Brook | 2017, 2022–present |
| Saffron Lempriere | 2018–present |
| Ella Wise | 2019–present |
| Dani Imbert | 2021–present |
| Roman Hackett | 2021–present |
| Bill Delbosq | 2021–present |
| Elma Pazar | 2022–present |
| Junaid Ahmed | 2022–present |
| Sophie Kasaei | 2023–present |
| Joe Blackman | 2023–present |
| Jodie Wells | 2023–present |
| Freddie Bentley | 2024–present |
| Livvy Jay | 2024-present |
| Becks Bloomberg | 2024-present |
The genre of "scripted reality" has attracted much criticism for a lack of authenticity, or indeed outright deception.
The show has been criticised for its negative and stereotypical representation of Essex, and there have been a number of complaints to ITV2.[5] It contributed to the popularity of Essex girl jokes.[6] Some Essex residents felt it was not a true representation of the area and the people who live there.[5][7][8][9][10][11] Kirk Norcross responded to this criticism by saying, "We are all from Essex, so this is Essex. It's not acting. It's not like they've got people from America and said 'Right, act like you think you know where Essex is.' We are Essex people so what you're watching is Essex."[12]. It is worth noting however, that at the time of this statement - a significant number of cast members were not from Essex as claimed, including Norcross himself.
In April 2011, it was reported that Big Brother 8 winner Brian Belo intended to sue the makers of The Only Way Is Essex – claiming they "stole his idea". Belo was in the original pilot of the show – provisionally titled Totally Essex[13] – alongside current stars Mark Wright, Sam Faiers, Kirk Norcross and Amy Childs. Belo planned to sue his former manager and Lime Pictures, which makes the show, for lost earnings of up to £100,000 a series.
On 24 October 2011, it was reported that sisters Sam and Billie Faiers had been attacked by a group of girls on a night out in London: "The sisters were first targeted inside the club when the girls made off with Billie's handbag... When they left, the gang followed them back to Essex." An insider also commented saying "Both Sam and Billie later went to A&E to get checked out. They are fine now, just a bit shocked, although Sam has been left with two black eyes." A video of the attack leaked online a day later.[14] The aftermath of the attack was aired during series 3 episode 10.
In May 2012, it was reported that original cast member Lauren Goodger had fallen out with the show's director for her bad timekeeping on set and her diva demands. Goodger appeared in the first four episodes of series 5, and was suspended from appearing in the show, however on 18 May 2012, it was confirmed that the issues had been resolved and that Goodger would be returning to the programme. She returned in episode 9 and her absence from the show was not mentioned on screen.
On 1 December 2012, it was reported that The X Factor finalist Rylan Clark would appear on the TOWIE Live special episode and later return as a full-time cast member in 2013. Mario Falcone reacted to the rumours by saying, "If he comes on Monday's live show, that's fine because it's all for charity, but if he comes on TOWIE as a main character, I'll leave. We hate him. He's a douche bag."[15][16] Kirk Norcross commented, "I've met Rylan before and he's actually a really nice boy but when people think of Essex they just think of the abbreviation, the 'Shut-up', the 'Oh my god' - that was all Amy Childs and we don't want that."[17] On 3 December, following Falcone and Norcross's comments, Clark pulled out of his one-off appearance for the live episode, later saying: "TOWIE's a great programme and I wish them all the best of luck, but I can’t do the show because I’ve got commitments to the X Factor tour and I’ve got to be in rehearsals. I’ve never met Mario in my life, so I find it very unprofessional and ungentlemanly for him to go around talking about people he hasn’t even met, Anyone who cheats on his girlfriend that much isn’t worth my time."[18]
The live episode was called "an utter car crash"[19] and "possibly the worst TV show ever".[20][21]
The show was initially filmed just a few days in advance and has been narrated by Denise van Outen since its inception. The first series ran for four weeks, airing every Wednesday and Sunday. The show has been described by the Daily Mirror as Britain's answer to The Hills and Jersey Shore.[22] Series 2 began on 20 March 2011, once again airing every Wednesday and Sunday, but with longer episodes than Series 1. Series 2 also saw the departure of original cast member Amy Childs. The second series consisted of 14 episodes, ending on 4 May 2011. The series returned for a third series on 25 September 2011 and was the final series to feature two of the original cast members Mark Wright whose departure was seen in the final episode while Kirk Norcross departed off-screen like Childs. The series ended on 9 November 2011.[23] On 2 December 2011, it was revealed that many of the cast would not be returning for the fourth series in 2012 but would feature in the 2011 Christmas Special.[24] The fourth series began in January 2012.
Digital Spy reported that the series had been renewed for a further four series following the Christmas Special and would air four 10-episode runs in 2012.[25]
On 20 March 2020, it was announced that filming for the forthcoming twenty-sixth series had been postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television. ITV said the move was to ensure the "safety of the cast and crew".[26] Whilst off air, it was announced that the show would return later in the air with an extended series for the show's 10th anniversary and would include the return of old cast members, as well as going back to two episodes per week.[27] The show returned for its twenty-seventh series on 14 March 2021 where it once again reverted to just one episode per week. Despite filming for this series taking place during a national lockdown, some restaurants and pubs opened especially for the show.[28]
Two months after the twenty-seventh series had aired, the production team announced that the cast would face an overhaul, with several cast members having been axed. They described the change as an evolution of the series and explained that it would allow for the remaining cast to be featured more. They also assured axed cast members that they would be able to receive welfare support from ITV if needed and thanked them for appearing on the series.[29]
In December 2011, the cast of the series released a cover of the Wham! song "Last Christmas", with their own version of the theme song "The Only Way Is Up" as the single's B-side. All profits from the single went to Text Santa.[30]
| Artist | Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
SCO | ||||
| Cast of Series 3 | "Last Christmas" | 33 | 43 | ||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||
The Only Way Is Marbs – Marbella Sessions is a 61-song compilation album released 23 June 2014[31] to coincide with the start of series 12 which saw the return of The Only Way Is Marbs. The album is mixed by Lauren Pope.
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jubel (Original Mix)" | Klingande | |
| 2. | "Extraordinary (Klingande Remix)" | Clean Bandit featuring Sharna Bass | |
| 3. | "Ready for Your Love" | Gorgon City featuring MNEK | |
| 4. | "I Love You" | Mark Wells | |
| 5. | "If U Got It (Mark Knight Remix Radio Edit)" | Chris Malinchak | |
| 6. | "Come On Now (Set It Off) (Radio Edit)" | Tube & Berger and Juliet Sikora | |
| 7. | "Shake That (Radio Edit)" | Dansson and Marlon Hoffstadt | |
| 8. | "Ey Yo" | Kant | |
| 9. | "Bassline (Main Mix)" | Gotsome featuring The Get Along Gang | |
| 10. | "Reverse Skydiving (Shadow Child Remix)" | Hot Natured featuring Anabel Englund | |
| 11. | "My Love" | Route 94 featuring Jess Glynne | |
| 12. | "Powerless (MK Remix)" | Rudimental featuring Becky Hill | |
| 13. | "Everything You Never Had (We Had It All)" | Breach featuring Andreya Triana | |
| 14. | "Dance With Me (MK Remix)" | Le Youth featuring Dominique Young Unique | |
| 15. | "Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)" | Klangkarussell | |
| 16. | "No Eyes (Radio Edit)" | Claptone featuring Jaw | |
| 17. | "Lonely (DJ S.K.T. Remix Extended Mix)" | La La Land | |
| 18. | "Crossing Boarders (Pleasurekraft Remix)" | Booka Shade featuring Kalkbrenner | |
| 19. | "Into the Blue (Vanilla Ace Remix)" | Kylie Minogue | |
| 20. | "Come With Me (Radio Mix)" | Nora En Pure |
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Sky Full of Stars" | Coldplay | |
| 2. | "How I Feel (Special Features Radio Mix)" | Flo Rida | |
| 3. | "Take Me Home (Extended Mix)" | Cash Cash featuring Bebe Rexha | |
| 4. | "Bad (Radio Edit)" | David Guetta and Showtek featuring Vassy | |
| 5. | "Animals" | Martin Garrix | |
| 6. | "Gecko (Radio Edit)" | Oliver Heldens | |
| 7. | "Wizzard (Tchami Remix)" | Martin Garrix and Jay Hardway | |
| 8. | "Come Alive (Le Youth Remix)" | Chromeo featuring Toro Y Moi | |
| 9. | "Trill Me (Riva Starr Remix)" | Junior Jack | |
| 10. | "Hope" | Alex Metric and Oliver | |
| 11. | "Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat (Calvin Harris Remix)" | Fatboy Slim and Riva Starr featuring Beardyman | |
| 12. | "Dirty Talk (Laidback Luke Remix)" | Wynter Gordon | |
| 13. | "Under Control" | Calvin Harris and Alesso featuring Hurts | |
| 14. | "Dare You (Radio Edit)" | Hardwell featuring Matthew Koma | |
| 15. | "Hey Now (Arty Remix)" | London Grammar | |
| 16. | "Hard to Beat (Axwell Mix) (Radio Edit)" | Hard-Fi | |
| 17. | "Howl at the Moon (Radio Edit)" | Stadiumx and Taylr Renee | |
| 18. | "Locked Out of Heaven (Cassette's Answering Machine Mix)" | Bruno Mars | |
| 19. | "You (Tiësto vs. Twoloud Remix)" | Glantis | |
| 20. | "Raise Your Hands (Radio Edit)" | Ummet Ozcan | |
| 21. | "Tsunami (Jump) (Bill & Will Remix)" | DVBBS & Borgeous featuring Tinie Tempah |
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rather Be (All About She Remix)" | Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne | |
| 2. | "I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)" | Lykke Li | |
| 3. | "Infinity (Radio Edit)" | Infinity Ink | |
| 4. | "Jack" | Breach | |
| 5. | "What Might I Do (Radio Edit)" | Ben Pearce | |
| 6. | "American Dream (Andre Crom & Chi Thanh Remix)" | Jakatta | |
| 7. | "At Night (Kid Creme Remix)" | Shakedown | |
| 8. | "Disco's Revenge (Mole Hole Dirty Mix)" | Gusto | |
| 9. | "Salsoul Nugget (If U Wanna) (M&S Radio Version)" | M&S Present... The Girl Next Door | |
| 10. | "Love On My Mind (Sharp Boys House Dub Mix)" | Freemasons | |
| 11. | "Big Love (The Dronez Mix)" | Peter Heller's Big Love | |
| 12. | "Push the Feeling On (The Dub of Doom)" | Nightcrawlers | |
| 13. | "Sugar Is Sweeter (Armand's Drum 'n' Bass Mix Edit)" | C.J. Bolland | |
| 14. | "Professional Widow (Armand Van Helden's Star Trunk Mix) (Radio Edit)" | Tori Amos | |
| 15. | "Spin Spin Sugar (Armand's Dark Garage Mix)" | Sneaker Pimps | |
| 16. | "I Feel Love (Raf Zone Mix)" | CRW | |
| 17. | "Missing (Todd Terry Remix)" | Everything But the Girl | |
| 18. | "You and I (Deadmau5 Radio Edit)" | Medina | |
| 19. | "Boom Boom (Heartbeat) (Radio Edit)" | Ray Foxx featuring Rachel K Collier | |
| 20. | "Show Me Love (Extended Mix)" | Steve Angello and Laidback Luke featuring Robin S. |
The Only Way Is Essex – Dance Anthems is a 61-song compilation album released on 13 October 2014.[32] The album is the second to be mixed by Lauren Pope.
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Am I Wrong" | Nico & Vinz | 4:07 |
| 2. | "Waves" (Robin Schulz Radio Edit) | Mr Probz | 3:27 |
| 3. | "Prayer in C" (Robin Schulz Radio Edit) | Lillywood & Robin Schulz | 3:09 |
| 4. | "Pushing On" (Radio Edit) | Oliver $ & Jimi Jules | 2:41 |
| 5. | "Gecko (Overdrive)" (DJ S.K.T Remix) | Oliver Heldens & Becky Hill | 4:25 |
| 6. | "I Wanna Feel" (Radio Edit) | Secondcity | 5:18 |
| 7. | "Always" | MK featuring Alana | 6:14 |
| 8. | "Benediction" | Hot Natured | 6:39 |
| 9. | "I Got U" (MK Remix) | Duke Dumont featuring Jax Jones | 7:17 |
| 10. | "Right Here" (Skream Remix) | Jess Glynne | 8:40 |
| 11. | "Ey Yo" | KANT vs. MK | 6:16 |
| 12. | "Here for You" | Gorgon City featuring Laura Welsh | 3:50 |
| 13. | "You Know the Words" (Devolution Remix) | Wiley | 6:12 |
| 14. | "Push the Feeling On 2014" | Nightcrawlers vs. DJ S.K.T | 4:20 |
| 15. | "Sing That Song" | TIEKS featuring Celeste | 2:59 |
| 16. | "Higher Ground" (KANT Remix) | Blonde featuring Charli Taft | 6:13 |
| 17. | "Freedom" (Route 94 Remix) | Grades | 4:47 |
| 18. | "Kisses for Breakfast" (Ill Blu Remix) | Melissa Steel featuring Popcaan | 5:01 |
| 19. | "Never Say Never" (Mark Knight Remix) | Basement Jaxx | 7:10 |
| 20. | "Own Up" (Ben Pearce Remix) | Motez (producer) | 5:13 |
| 21. | "Sunlight" (Radio Edit) | The Magician featuring Years and Years | 3:13 |
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lovers on the Sun" | David Guetta featuring Sam Martin | 3:23 |
| 2. | "A Sky Full of Stars" (Hardwell Remix) | Coldplay | 5:13 |
| 3. | "Sing" (Syn Cole Remix) | Ed Sheeran | 4:45 |
| 4. | "Wasted" (TST Remix) | Tiësto featuring Matthew Koma | 4:35 |
| 5. | "C.U.B.A" | Calvin Harris | 4:26 |
| 6. | "Changes" (Stefan Dabruck Remix) | Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau | 6:00 |
| 7. | "Come Over" (Cahill Remix) | Clean Bandit featuring Stylo G | 3:02 |
| 8. | "Fancy" (Riddim Commission Remix) | Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX | 4:40 |
| 9. | "Boom Clap" (Cahill Remix) | Charli XCX | 5:28 |
| 10. | "Heart Weighs a Ton" | Alex Metric featuring Stefan Storm | 3:41 |
| 11. | "Lightning" (Sex Panther Remix) | Cash Cash featuring John Rzeznik | 6:24 |
| 12. | "Twisted" (Extended Mix) | Fedde le Grand | 5:06 |
| 13. | "AnyTime" (Extended Mix) | Don Diablo | 4:33 |
| 14. | "One More Day (Stay with Me)" (Extended Mix) | Example | 5:00 |
| 15. | "Way We Are" | Kove featuring Melissa Steel | 3:21 |
| 16. | "You" (Moska Remix) | Galantis | 6:39 |
| 17. | "Fix Me" | Swanky Tunes featuring Raign | 5:16 |
| 18. | "Tremor" | Dimitri Vegas, Martin Garrix & Like Mike | 3:12 |
| 19. | "Ping Pong" (Radio Edit) | Armin van Buuren | 2:58 |
| 20. | "Come with Me (We Are One 2014)" (Paul van Dyk Festival Mix) | Paul van Dyk & Ummet Ozcan | 5:25 |
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lola's Theme" (Extended Vocal Mix) | The Shapeshifters | 6:55 |
| 2. | "Sing It Back" (Boris Dlugosch Mix) | Moloko | 4:27 |
| 3. | "Calabria" (Original) | Rune | 7:35 |
| 4. | "Needin' U" | David Morales Presents The Face | 7:53 |
| 5. | "Salsoul Nugget (If U Wanna)" (M&S Radio Version) | M&S Presents...The Girl Next Door | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Want Love" (Original Radio Edit) | Hysteric Ego | 3:33 |
| 7. | "U Don't Know Me" (Radio Edit) | Armand Van Helden featuring Duane Harden | 3:20 |
| 8. | "Get Get Down" (Original Mix) | Paul Johnson | 6:32 |
| 9. | "Love Don't Let Me Go (Walking Away)" | David Guetta vs. The Egg | 3:11 |
| 10. | "Sun Is Shining" | Funkstar De Luxe | 3:53 |
| 11. | "I Luv U Baby" | The Original | 6:43 |
| 12. | "Say Say Say (Waiting 4 U)" (Hi_Tack Remix) | Hi_Tack | 8:03 |
| 13. | "Out of Touch" (Radio Mix) | Uniting Nations | 2:48 |
| 14. | "Bromance" (Avicii's Arena Mix) | Tim Berg | 8:15 |
| 15. | "Million Voices" | Otto Knows | 3:25 |
| 16. | "Miami 2 Ibiza" (Radio Edit) | Swedish House Mafia vs. Tinie Tempah | 2:47 |
| 17. | "Lies" (Otto Knows Remix Radio Edit) | Burns | 3:48 |
| 18. | "Infinity 2008" (Klaas Remix) | Guru Josh Project | 6:29 |
| 19. | "Greece 2000" (Original Mix) | Three Drives on a Vinyl | 8:02 |
| 20. | "Touch Me" (Radio Edit) | Rui da Silva featuring Cassandra | 3:26 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 62. | "The Only Way Is Essex – Dance Anthems (Continuous Mix 1)" | 1:19:52 |
| 63. | "The Only Way Is Essex – Dance Anthems (Continuous Mix 2)" | 1:18:43 |
| 64. | "The Only Way Is Essex – Dance Anthems (Continuous Mix 3)" | 1:19:41 |
| Series | Date released | No. of episodes | No. of discs | Special features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Series | 28 March 2011 | 11 | 2 | 2010 Christmas Special |
| The Complete Second Series | 26 September 2011 | 14 | 3 | Chapter Selections |
| The Complete Third Series | 20 January 2012 | 15 | 3 | 2011 Christmas Special |
| The Complete Fourth Series | 7 May 2012 | 10 | 2 | Chapter Selections |
| The Complete Fifth Series | 1 October 2012 | 11 | 2 | The Only Way is Marbs Special |
| The Complete Sixth Series | 8 October 2012 | 10 | 2 | Chapter Selections |
| The Complete Seventh Series | 18 February 2013 | 11 | 2 | 1 episode of 2012 Christmas Special |
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