The Only Way Is Essex burst onto our screens 12 years ago, but where are some of the most memorable cast members who quit?
Chloe Simms, who turned 41 yesterday (November 2), quit TOWIE after 11 years in July.
Embarking on a new chapter in her life, Chloe decided to depart the show for pastures new.
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After her announcement in the summer, it was confirmed that her sisters Demi and Frankie would also be taking a step back from the reality show.
The Simms sisters quitting came as reports swirled that they were in talks for their own Kardashian-style reality show – but what about all the other old TOWIE cast members who have departed?
Keep scrolling to discover where six former TOWIE icons are now…
Gemma Collins
(Image: Getty Images for Thirty8 London)
Bursting onto our screens in 2011 as a sassy and sexy car saleswoman, Gemma was an instant hit with viewers.
Pals with the likes of Amy Childs during her stint on the show, Gemma ended up having some of the most memorable one-liners of all the cast in TOWIE history – with “you ain’t ever gonna get this candy” being her most famous.
Gemma quit TOWIE in 2019 and went on to appear on other reality programmes like I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Dancing On Ice.
She even launched her very own TV show – Diva Forever – as well as writing a book and more recently launching a new podcast.
Speaking to us last year, Gemma spoke out about how she wouldn’t want to go back on TOWIE.
She told us: “I love The Only Way Is Essex. I wish them all well, but no, I won’t do it again, I’ve moved on.”
The self-confessed diva then added: “Honey, I’ve got Valentino dressing me now. Do they really need to see me back down Brentwood High Street?”
Gemma is now engaged to Rami Hawash after the pair rekindled their romance, which followed on from Gemma’s on and off romance with James Argent.
Maria Fowler
(Image: mariafowler_/Instagram)
Best known for starring on The Only Way Is Essex back in he early 2010s, Maria was close pals with Chloe Simms and Mick Norcross.
Her career took a turn for the worst when it was alleged she’d worked as an escort, but she has said that she quit TOWIE “by mutual consent” after she refused an on-screen romance with her close pal Mick Norcross – who sadly died of suicide in 2021.
But having turned her life around since moving away from television, Maria is now a proud mummy to two daughters and runs an Instagram page to inspire female empowerment.
With over 190,000 followers, Maria’s content focuses on teaching important lessons to women and girls, with her name being “Lessons for my daughters” on the app.
She is married to Kelvin Batey, whom she wed in secret in 2019 in a lavish Cheshire ceremony.
Lauren Goodger
(Image: Getty Images)
Lauren Goodger was a TOWIE original, who is best remembered for her on and off relationship with Mark Wright.
From pushing him in a pool during a pool party that she wasn’t invited to, to getting his name tattooed on her and getting engaged in a car park – she was and is a TOWIE icon.
Despite going down in reality history, Lauren was only a cast member for two years before she quit in 2012.
Remaining in the public eye, Lauren has lived out much of her life in the spotlight and in 2019 appeared on Celebs Go Dating.
She has since welcomed her daughter Larose with then-boyfriend Charles Drury.
Lauren sadly lost her second daughter shortly after giving birth and has now split from Charles.
Dan Osbourne
(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
From 2013 until 2015 Dan Osbourne was a permanent fixture on TOWIE, but was booted off the show when a slew of recordings came to light.
The recordings claimed to show Dan being verbally abusive towards his ex-girlfriend Megan Tomlin.
Dan has remained in the spotlight and since his sacking from the ITVBe show has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother where he made it to the final and placed third.
He is also known for being ex-EastEnders’ star Jacqueline Jossa’s hunky hubby, with the pair living out their marriage’s ups and downs in the public eye.
Despite their ups and downs, the couple share daughters Ella and Mia together. Dan also has a son Teddy from a previous relationship.
In 2019 Jacqueline hinted that she and Dan could make a cameo on TOWIE despite his sacking.
The Mirror reports that she said: “I could be on TOWIE soon,” she told, “Me and Dan are gonna come back.”
Ricky Rayment
Ricky is best known for his high-profiled romance with Mark Wright’s sister Jess.
The pair had a very lengthy on and off relationship, with Jess even getting a drawer filled with underwear and beauty products when he got a new apartment.
When the pair broke up, Ricky left the show “by mutual agreement” with TOWIE bosses.
Reports also say that he quit the show in order to pursue his romance with Geordie Shore’s Marnie Simpson.
Although, he told Star Magazine that had he not have got with Marnie, he would have stayed on TOWIE.
He said: “If I hadn’t got with Marnie, I’d never have left. I regret it in that sense.”
Out of the spotlight more often than not, Ricky is now a fisherman.
The TOWIE hunk even launched his own brand of fishing equipment and clothing called Filthy Hooker back in 2018.
Joey Essex
(Image: Getty Images)
One of the OG TOWIE stars, if you’re an OG viewer – you’ll probably remember the Brentwood swoop and his high profile relationship with Sam Faiers.
Joey was always destined for superstardom and proved this when he quit the show in 2013.
He left TOWIE in order to appear on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! where he placed fourth, before going on to star on a number of other reality shows.
Joey even had some TV shows of his own, appeared on Channel 4’s The Jump and more recently, earlier this year he participated in the eighth series of the Australian version of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, finishing in sixth place.
The Essex-born heartthrob was seen kissing Love Island’s Maura Higgins at the Pride Of Britain Awards in October.
Maura was pictured getting close to TOWIE’s Joey during the event, with the pair even leaving together in a taxi.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
