| The Only Way Is Essex | |
|---|---|
| Season 12 | |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV2 |
| Original release | 22 June – 30 July 2014 |
| Series chronology | |
The twelfth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 30 January 2014 when it had been announced that it had renewed for a further three series, the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth. [1] The series began on 22 June 2014 and started with two The Only Way Is Marbs specials. [2] [3] This series focused on the blossoming relationship between Chloe and Elliott, Bobby ending the romance between Harry after finding out he's still seeing his ex-boyfriend, the rivalry between Chloe and Ferne after cheating rumours came to light, and Arg's attempts to win back Lydia. It was the last series to feature on ITV2 before moving to ITVBe later that year.
| Series no. | Episode no. | Title | Original air date | Duration | UK viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 134 | 1 | "The Only Way Is Marbs, Part 1" | 22 June 2014 | 60 minutes | 1,582,000 |
| The group arrive in Marbella, and Bobby and Harry's new relationship is hot topic. The tension between Chloe and Lauren increases as old friend Vas gets involved. Gemma puts a spanner in the works as she reveals that Harry went to Tenerife to see his ex-boyfriend. Charlie comes across some footage of Ferne with another man in Vegas and immediately doubts their relationship. Grace and Tom get close but fears he may be looking elsewhere. Bobby is horrified when he goes through Harry's phone and sees some messages, and Lydia and Arg reminisce. | |||||
| 135 | 2 | "The Only Way Is Marbs, Part 2" | 25 June 2014 | 60 minutes | 1,433,000 |
| Bobby is determined to find out what really happened between Harry and his ex-boyfriend in Tenerife and questions Gemma further. As more secrets are revealed, Harry accuses Gemma of lying to sabotage his relationship. Dan finds out that Jasmin has been back stabbing him so angrily confronts her causing a heated argument. Ferne clashes with both Chloe and Fran as they defend Charlie, and Harry finally confesses to cheating on Bobby before returning to Essex. Charlie agrees to work on his relationship with Ferne, whilst Elliott and Chloe discuss their future. | |||||
| 136 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 29 June 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,608,000 |
| Arg hopes he and Lydia can be friends again and confides in Debbie over his feelings, but Lydia feels he's only going to her Mum to worm his way back into her life. Georgia reveals she stayed at Dan's in Marbella but slept on the sofa leaving Jasmin upset that her friend would go behind her back. Gemma continues to meddle in Bobby's life and phones Harry's ex-boyfriend, and there are consequences as she investigates further. Ferne reaches out and apologises to Chloe but she refuses to forgive her, and Grace and Tom get closer. Elsewhere, Georgia and Jasmin clash over Dan. | |||||
| 137 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 2 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,454,000 |
| As Charlie stresses over the opening of his deli, Ferne worries her feud with Chloe is causing more pressure for him. Danni feels that Gemma needs to stop getting involved in Bobby's love life, and urges Harry to fight for his man. Lydia reveals her concerns to Debbie over her friendship with Arg and makes it clear that she and Arg will just be remaining friends. Tom takes Grace on a date, whilst Lewis takes Lauren for some fish and chips. Harry interrupts Bobby's movie night with Gemma to confess all of his mistakes with his ex-boyfriend, but will Bobby forgive him? | |||||
| 138 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 6 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,556,000 |
| The tension between Chloe and Ferne increases and Charlie admits he's had enough of arguments in his family. Harry and Bobby spend the day together in an attempt to make amends for recent situations. Lewis asks for Vas' approval to ask Lauren out on a date and admits he feels awkward around her. As Jess moves into her new home, she explains to her friends that she wishes that Ricky was moving in with her. Charlie tells Chloe that he will be with Ferne regardless of her opinions towards her, and asks Ferne to not cause trouble between him and his sister. | |||||
| 139 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 9 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,515,000 |
| After a discussion with her family, Jess worries about Ricky's commitment in their relationship and fears they might not have a future together. Chloe hears rumours that Ferne has cheated on Charlie once again and reveals she will never forgive her, whilst Elliott exposes another secret as it comes to light she's made a pass at him. Tom backs off from Grace after finding out she's gone back to her ex-boyfriend, whilst Gemma and Harry have an angry confrontation over each other's lies. Grace feels let down by Fran and Georgia and is quick to pull them up on it. | |||||
| 140 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 13 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,580,000 |
| Grace has a lot of explaining to do when Tom questions her about her ex-boyfriend. Bobby finally ends the relationship with a heartbroken Harry but when Gemma goes to comfort Harry, Bobby is angry at where her loyalties lie. Chloe is annoyed at the rift Ferne has caused between her and her brother, and Elliott tries to put things right for the Sims. Elsewhere, Lydia becomes Arg's driving instructor, and Lauren and Vas host a fashion show where Georgia tries to make amends with Grace. Elliott's attempts at fixing problems backfires as he ends up in another argument with Ferne. | |||||
| 141 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 16 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,427,000 |
| Fran is confused as Grace refuses to make amends with her due to the lack of trust. Gemma and Bobby make peace and team up to urge Ferne to sort her issue out with Chloe for Charlie's sake. Lydia and Arg revisit the past, but when he asks her to be his plus-one at Leah's wedding, Ricky feels she may be leading him on. Diags isn't happy when Lewis takes Grace's side of the argument over Fran's, and Danni is far from impressed to discover Vas has been tweeting about her. As Fran tries to fix things with Grace, she's shocked when she accuses her of cheating on Diags. | |||||
| 142 | 9 | "Episode 9" | 20 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,722,000 |
| When Arg and Lydia wake up next to each other, Arg is overjoyed and is quick to spread his happiness around Essex by telling everyone. Elliott and Chloe decide to make their relationship official and announce they're looking to buy a house together already. Elsewhere, Charlie takes Ferne camping, and Lewis and Diags try to clear the air. Vas and Danni clash over their recent back stabbing causing Vas to get upset, and Gemma breaks down after finding out about Arg and Lydia's night together. Shocked by the rumour Grace has started, Georgia ends their friendship. | |||||
| 143 | 10 | "Episode 10" | 23 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,542,000 |
| Lauren isn't impressed that Lewis has told everyone that they slept together, whilst Lydia starts to have second thoughts about getting so close to Arg again. Ferne goes on a mission to set Gemma up on a double date but she ends up horrified as she comes face-to-face with someone she kissed in Vegas. As the Wright's attend Leah's wedding in Spain, Ricky reveals he'd like to marry Jess in the near future. Vas opens up to Danni about his past leaving him in an emotional state. Elsewhere, there's trouble in paradise as Lydia tells Arg not to tell everyone about their private life. | |||||
| 144 | 11 | "Episode 11" | 27 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,873,000 |
| Another cheating allegation against Arg from the past comes to light bringing back bad memories for Lydia, but as she promises not to go anywhere near him again, she questions Debbie's loyalties when she can't see the bad in him still. With the Wright's at war following arguments at the wedding, Carol and Jess are quick to point the finger at Arg for causing them. There's tension between Lauren and Danni which leads to a confrontation between the pair. Meanwhile Elliott sticks up for Arg when Jess tells him he should take full responsibility for the drama in her family. | |||||
| 145 | 12 | "Episode 12" | 30 July 2014 | 50 minutes | 1,684,000 |
| Carol makes it clear she isn't happy by comments made by Chloe regarding their family situation, whilst Jess and Leah go out of their way to resolve the matter. Grace refuses to back down as Fran continues to call her a liar, and Georgia admits she's sick of the pair bickering. Elsewhere, Chloe and Ferne finally put their rivalry behind them and agree to be friends again, whilst Bobby and Harry remember the good times they shared together. Arg makes a grand gesture to Lydia and confesses his love her, and he's delighted at the mutual feeling as they agree to take things slowly. | |||||
| Episode | Date | Official ITV2 rating [4] (millions) | ITV2 weekly rank [4] | Official ITV2+1 rating [4] (millions) | Total ITV2 viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marbs 1 | 22 June 2014 | 1,421,000 | 1 | 161,000 | 1,582,000 |
| Marbs 2 | 25 June 2014 | 1,244,000 | 2 | 189,000 | 1,433,000 |
| Episode 3 | 29 June 2014 | 1,319,000 | 1 | 289,000 | 1,608,000 |
| Episode 4 | 2 July 2014 | 1,201,000 | 2 | 253,000 | 1,454,000 |
| Episode 5 | 6 July 2014 | 1,347,000 | 1 | 209,000 | 1,556,000 |
| Episode 6 | 9 July 2014 | 1,329,000 | 1 | 186,000 | 1,515,000 |
| Episode 7 | 13 July 2014 | 1,301,000 | 2 | 279,000 | 1,580,000 |
| Episode 8 | 16 July 2014 | 1,208,000 | 2 | 219,000 | 1,427,000 |
| Episode 9 | 20 July 2014 | 1,544,000 | 1 | 178,000 | 1,722,000 |
| Episode 10 | 23 July 2014 | 1,306,000 | 2 | 236,000 | 1,542,000 |
| Episode 11 | 27 July 2014 | 1,654,000 | 1 | 219,000 | 1,873,000 |
| Episode 12 | 30 July 2014 | 1,475,000 | 1 | 209,000 | 1,684,000 |
| Series average | 1,362,000 | 1 | 219,000 | 1,581,000 | |
The second series of The Only Way Is Essex, a British semi-reality television programme, began airing on 20 March 2011 on ITV2. The series concluded on 4 May 2011 and consisted of fourteen episodes. This is the first series to include Carol Wright, Chloe Sims, Debbie Douglas, Frankie Essex, Gemma Collins, Joey Essex, Mick Norcross and Nicola Goodger, and briefly included Leah Wright, the cousin of Mark and Jess Wright, before she later returned in the ninth series. It is the last series to include Amy Childs before her return in 2020. The series heavily focused on the relationship between Lauren G and Mark, where the pair celebrate an engagement, failed to win over the support from the Wright family, before splitting when Mark puts his club promoting before his fiancée. It also featured the demise of Arg and Lydia's relationship, the blossoming romance between Joey and Sam, and Kirk and Lauren P taking things to the next step despite the disapproval from her best friend Maria.
The third series of The Only Way Is Essex, a British semi-reality television programme, began airing on 25 September 2011 on ITV2. The series concluded on 9 November 2011 and consisted of fourteen episodes. An Essexmas special aired on 20 December 2011 and is included on the Series 3 DVD. This is the first series to include Billi Mucklow, Cara Kilbey, Mario Falcone, Peri Sinclair, twins Dino and Georgio Georgiades and briefly included Mark Wright Snr, the father of Mark and Jess Wright, before he later returned in the sixth series. It is the last series to include Harry Derbidge, Kirk Norcross, Maria Fowler and Mark Wright having all appeared since the first series. The series heavily focused on the romance of Mark and Sam despite obstacles like their respective exes Lauren G and Joey, the beginning of Lucy and Mario, and Arg and Lydia facing rocky patches in their relationship.
The fourth series of The Only Way Is Essex, a British semi-reality television programme, began airing on 29 January 2012 on ITV2. The series concluded on 29 February 2012 and consisted of ten episodes. This is the first series to include Bobby Cole Norris, Charlie King, Chris "Little Chris" Drake, Georgina Dorsett, James "Diags" Bennewith, Ricky Rayment and Tom Kilbey. It is the last series to include twins Dino and Georgio Georgiades, and Peri Sinclair who had appeared since the third series, and Nicola Goodger who first appeared during the second series. The series heavily focuses on new boy Ricky causing a stir in Essex by going behind the boy's backs and trying to get with many of the girls, as well as the strain between friendships when Billi finds love with Cara's brother Tom, and Jess finally cuts Lauren G out of her life. It also features the aftermath of Arg and Lydia's break-up, and Lucy and Mario hitting another rough patch in their turbulent relationship.
The fifth series of The Only Way Is Essex, a British semi-reality television programme, began airing on 15 April 2012 on ITV2. The series concluded on 27 May 2012 and consisted of ten episodes. A "The Only Way Is Marbs" special aired on 13 June 2012 and is included on the Series 5 DVD. This is the first series to include new cast members Danni Park-Dempsey, Tom Pearce and Joan Collins, who is the mother of Gemma Collins. It is the last series to include Georgina Dorsett, who made her debut during the previous series. The series mainly focused on the bitter fallout between Charlie and Gemma following their break-up and her spreading rumours about his sexuality, as well as the rekindled romance between Joey and Sam, and a new relationships for Tom K and Lydia, Ricky and Jess, and Lauren P and Tom P. It also included a divide between the boys of Essex, and Lucy and Mario getting engaged.
The sixth series of The Only Way Is Essex, a British semi-reality television programme, began airing on 22 July 2012 on ITV2. The series concluded on 22 August 2012 after ten episodes. This is the first series to include new cast members Darrell Privett, who is the ex-boyfriend of Lauren Pope, and was the only series to feature Jamie Reed, who later returned for two cameo appearances during the eighth series. It also included the brief return of original cast member Mark Wright, who made an appearance without a speaking part. His dad, Mark Wright Snr also returned to the series having previously appeared briefly in the third series. This was the final series to feature Lauren Goodger until her return during The Only Way Is Essexmas special in 2015. The series focused heavily on the rivalry between Lucy and Sam when Sam investigates rumours that Mario has been cheating, it also includes a love triangle between Lauren G, Lauren P and Tom P, and a declaration of love as Bobby realises the extent of his feelings towards Charlie.
The seventh series of The Only Way Is Essex, a British semi-reality television programme, began airing on 30 September 2012 on ITV2. The series concluded on 31 October 2012 after ten episodes. Following the series, three festive special episodes aired from 2 December to 19 December 2012, including one live episode. The Only Way Is Essexmas special episode is included on the Series 7 DVD and Britbox, however for unknown reasons the other two specials were aren't on this DVD. This was the first series to include brand new cast members and siblings Jasmin and Danny Walia. Jasmin had previously appeared during the Essexmas special of the first series auditioning for girl band LOLA.
The eighth series of The Only Way Is Essex, a British semi-reality television programme, began airing on 24 February 2013 on ITV2. The series consisted of 12 episodes. Series 8 marked the first series not to feature Lydia Bright, after her departure from the series in December 2012. The series also saw the departure of numerous supporting cast members and introduced new supporting cast members.
The ninth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex began airing on 2 June 2013 and included the 100th episode of the series which aired 12 June 2013. This was the first series not to feature both Mick Norcross and Debbie Douglas after their departure from the show during the previous series although Douglas made a cameo appearance in Episode 11. Both appeared in the show from series 2–8. It was also the first series not to include Kirk Norcross since he returned to the cast in series 7. On 12 April 2013, ahead of series, Lucy Mecklenburgh announced on Twitter that her relationship with Mario Falcone had ended. The series began with two The Only Way Is Marbs specials.
The tenth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 10 July 2013 by cast member Bobby-Cole Norris on Twitter. The series began on 6 October 2013 with two The Only Way Is Vegas specials and was followed by a regular run of the series from 13 October 2013 until 13 November 2013. This was the last series to feature Joey Essex, with him making his final appearance in the series finale, and Lucy Mecklenburgh after she departed the series during the Christmas special at the end of the series. This series also marked the arrival of new cast member Elliott Wright, cousin of Mark and Jess Wright.
The eleventh series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 30 January 2014 when it had been announced that it had renewed for a further three series, the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth. The series premiered on 23 February 2014 with a 60-minute special, and was followed by another 11 episodes. This was also the first series not to include Lucy Mecklenburgh after her departure during the Christmas special after the tenth series. The series also saw the return of Lydia Bright. This was the penultimate series to feature on ITV2
The thirteenth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 30 January 2014 when it had been announced that it had renewed for a further three series; the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth. The series launched on 8 October 2014 with two The Only Way Is Ibiza specials. It was the first series to feature on ITV's new channel ITVBe, which also launched on 8 October 2014. The first episode of The Only Way Is Ibiza featured a live afterparty straight after the episode hosted by ex-cast member Mark Wright and narrator of the show Denise van Outen.
The fourteenth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 26 November 2014 when it had been announced that it had renewed for at least a further two series, the fourteenth and fifteenth. It is therefore the first series to be included in its current contract. The series launched on 22 February 2015 and was immediately followed by a one-off special "TOWIE: All Back to Essex" hosted by Mark Wright. It is the second series to feature on ITV's new channel ITVBe. It was the first series to include new cast members Dan Edgar, Jake Hall and Chloe Lewis, and the last to feature Charlie Sims, Dan Osborne, Jasmin Walia, Leah Wright and Ricky Rayment. Frankie Essex also made a brief return to the series having last appeared during the tenth series.
The fifteenth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 26 November 2014 when it had been announced that it had renewed for at least a further two series, the fourteenth and fifteenth. The series launched on 14 June 2015 with two Marbella specials. After the launch of the new series, it will be immediately followed by another one-off special "TOWIE: All Back to Essex" hosted by Mark Wright. It is the third series to feature on ITV's new channel ITVBe. As well as confirming the new launch date, it was confirmed that ITV had renewed their contract keeping the show for a further six series, taking it to Series 21. Ahead of the series it was announced that cast member Ricky Rayment had taken a short break from the show but would be back, however he did not return. It was also confirmed that Mario Falcone had been suspended from the show for the second time, this time after promoting slimming pills on social media. He returned during the fourth episode. This was the final series to feature long-running cast member Gemma Collins until her brief return for the Essexmas special, and first to include new cast member Pete Wicks.
The sixteenth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 3 June 2015 when it was announced that it had renewed for at least a further six series, taking it up to 21 series. It is therefore the first series to be included in its current contract. The series launched on 4 October 2015 with two Marbella specials. After the launch of the new series, it was immediately followed by another one-off special "TOWIE: All Back to Essex", hosted by Mark Wright. Ahead of the series it was announced that cast member Gemma Collins had quit the show having appeared since the second series, however she later returned for the Essexmas special. This was also the final series to feature original cast member Lauren Pope, who quit mid-way through the series, Jess Wright and Ferne McCann who both announced their departures from the show ahead of the seventeenth series. This was also the final series to include Patricia "Nanny Pat" Brooker following her death. A Christmas special of the show aired on 16 December 2015 which featured the brief return of former cast members Gemma Collins, Lauren Goodger and Mario Falcone.
The seventeenth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 3 June 2015 when it was announced that it had renewed for at least a further six series, taking it up to 21 series. It is the second series to be included in its current contract. The series will launch on 28 February 2016. Ahead of the series it was announced that cast member Jess Wright had quit the show having appeared since the first series in 2010. Ferne McCann also confirmed that she would be taking a break from the show but would be back. It will be the first series to include new cast members Chloe Meadows, Courtney Green, and Chris and Jon Clark. Jon previously appeared on ITV2's Love Island.
The eighteenth series of the British semi-reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 3 June 2015 when it was announced that it had renewed for at least a further six series, taking it up to 21 series. It is the third series to be included in its current contract. The series launched on 17 July 2016 with a special entitled The Only Way is Mallorca. Ahead of the series it was announced that cast member Jake Hall had quit the show having appeared since the fourteenth series. Despite quitting the show at the end of the sixteenth series, Jess Wright made a one-off appearance to support Bobby over the loss of his dog. It was also the first series not to include long-running cast member Lewis Bloor, who quit during the previous series. New cast member Amber Dowding joined the show for this series. Love Island winners Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde also made guest appearances during the ninth episode of the series. This was the final series to include Billie Faiers after it was announced she had quit the show.
The nineteen series of the British reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 3 June 2015 when it was announced that it had renewed for at least a further six series, taking it up to 21 series. It is the fourth series to be included in its current contract. The series will launch on 9 October 2016 with a The Only Way is Marbs special. It includes the first appearances of new cast members Ben Shenel and Ercan Ramadan. Mario Falcone and Frankie Essex also made a surprise one-off return to the series during the final episode of the series to celebrate Chloe Sims's 35th birthday. Love Island winners Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde both made another guest appearance during the eighth episode. Original cast member James Argent was also absent for most of this series. A further two Essexmas specials aired in December 2016, where Danni Armstrong announced her departure from the series.
The twentieth series of the British reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 3 June 2015 when it was announced that it had renewed for at least a further six series, taking it up to 21 series. The series launched on 5 March with the cast going to Tenerife, and concluded on 3 May 2017 after eighteen episodes, making this the longest series to date. Ahead of the series it was announced that James Argent had taken a break from the series having only appeared in the first half of the previous series. It was also announced that Mario Falcone, Jamie Reed and Charlie King would all be returning to the series. Lauren Pope also made a return to the series during the final episode, and Fran Parman also made a brief return during this episode.
The twenty-first series of the British reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex was confirmed on 3 June 2015 when it was announced that it had renewed for at least a further six series, taking it up to 21 series. The series began on 10 September 2017 with the cast going to Marbella, and concluded after seventeen episodes on 5 November 2017, making it the second longest series to date after it was confirmed that the lengths of each series would be extended. Ahead of the series it was announced that James Argent would be returning to the series following his break from the show. It was also confirmed that after making brief appearances during the previous series, Lauren Pope and Mario Falcone would be returning to the series as a full-time cast member. With this announcement, it was revealed that Mike Hassini would also be returning to the series having previously left the show after the eighteenth series. Former cast member Elliott Wright also made an appearance during the second episode of the series, whilst Vas J Morgan also returned to the show mid-way through the series. This was also the first series to include new cast members Ruby Lacey and Taylor Barnett. Former cast member Danielle Armstrong also made a brief return to the series, appearing in the Halloween special episode airing on 29 October 2017. During the series it was announced that Carol Wright had quit the show. A further Essexmas episode aired on 17 December 2017.
The twenty-fifth series of the British reality television programme The Only Way Is Essex began airing on 1 September 2019, and concluded on 10 November 2019 following 11 episodes. The first episode of the series marks the 300th overall episode of the show. Ahead of the series, it was announced that former Love Island star Olivia Attwood had joined the cast having already made an appearance during the previous series. Frankie Sims and Matt Snape also joined the cast for this series. This series also featured one-off appearances from former cast members Charlie Sims, Danni Armstrong, Elliott Wright, Gemma Collins and Vas Morgan. In October 2019, it was announced that Sam Mucklow and Shelby Tribble had quit the series. During the final episode, it was confirmed that a "The Only Way Is Essexmas" special would return having not aired the previous year.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)