The Only Way Is Essex (often abbreviated asTOWIE/ˈtaʊi/) is a British reality television series based inBrentwood, Essex, England. It shows "real people in modified situations, saying unscripted lines but in a structured way."^[2] Broadcast onITV2 from 2010, the series was moved toITVBe 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 the2011 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" byYazz
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	34
No. of episodes	418(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, 2025-) ITVBe (2014–2025)
Release	10 October 2010 (2010-10-10) – present

On 13 March 2016, ITVBe aired a one-off documentary hosted by former cast memberMark Wright, discussing the history of the series. On 28 February 2017, with the announcement of the cast for the show'stwentieth 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]

On 16 April 2025, ITV confirmed that the show would move back to ITV2 from Autumn 2025 as it was closing ITVBe in June of that year.

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.

The genre of "scripted reality" has attracted muchcriticism for a lack of authenticity, or indeed outright deception.

The show has been criticised for its negative and stereotypical representation ofEssex, and there have been a number of complaints toITV2.^[5] It contributed to the popularity ofEssex 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]} 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.".^[11] 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.^[12]

In April 2011, it was reported thatBig Brother 8 winnerBrian Belo intended to sue the makers ofThe Only Way Is Essex, claiming they "stole his idea". Belo was in the original pilot of the show – provisionally titledTotally 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 thatThe X Factor finalistRylan Clark would appear on theTOWIE 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 onTOWIE 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 theX 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 byDenise van Outen since its inception. The first series ran for four weeks, airing every Wednesday and Sunday. The show has been described by theDaily Mirror as Britain's answer toThe Hills andJersey 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 memberAmy 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 membersMark Wright whose departure was seen in the final episode whileKirk 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 theimpact 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 anational 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 theWham! 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 toText Santa.^[30]

The Only Way Is Marbs – Marbella Sessions is a 61-song compilation album released 23 June 2014^{[31][better source needed]} to coincide with the start ofseries 12 which saw the return ofThe Only Way Is Marbs. The album is mixed byLauren Pope.

The Only Way Is Essex – Dance Anthems is a 61-song compilation album released on 13 October 2014.^{[32][better source needed]} The album is the second to be mixed by Lauren Pope.

• The Only Way Is Essex atitv.com
• The Only Way Is Essex atIMDb