Shocking TV moments that transformed the industry as Britain’s original reality star Lauren Goodger reveals how TOWIE has changed for the better after years of gruelling 19-hour days and manipulating storylines

It was more than two decades ago that Lauren Goodger burst onto the reality scene in the inaugural series of The Only Way Is Essex. 

Perma-tanned, looking ‘reem’ and not afraid to tell anyone to ‘Shuuuut uuuup!’, she found instant fame alongside the likes of on/off boyfriend Mark Wright, sisters Billie and Sam Faiers and beautician Amy Childs. 

TOWIE was a rating hit and fans tuned in every week to see what antics the cast would get up to – as well as what new words would soon be incorporated into the mainstream – anyone for a vajazzle? 

Yet behind the scenes, it wasn’t all glitz and glamour, with stars subjected to gruelling long days of filming and producers manipulating scenes to cause maximum drama. 

Speaking to MailOnline about the ITVBe show, Lauren revealed that things are very different now that she’s returned after a 12-year absence. 

Lauren, 37, explained: ‘When TOWIE first came out we didn’t even know how well it was gonna do!

‘We’ve come a long way. TV itself has. There was no Love Island then, no Geordie Shore. There was nothing!

‘The show is different now to how it used to be, it’s not as raw and they [producers] care more about you this time around.’

Revealing they would be put through their paces with gruelling 19-hour days, she continued: ‘Back when I first filmed for the show we’d be mic’d up from 10am to 5am and it was like “oh god, what have we said in that time?” 

‘But I wouldn’t have changed that because that’s what made it what it was. I’d do it all over again because that’s what people wanted to see and that’s why we’ve got a fan base.

‘We all had different “characters” to play, even though it was reality. We knew what they wanted to see from certain people so we played ball and we’d have meetings to plan storylines. 

‘We did what we had to do to keep it entertaining.’

Lauren’s experience now is very different, and she has praised producers for being flexible with her schedule as a working mother and going above and beyond to help out their stars. 

It’s hardly surprising that there are differences now, as Lauren first left the show in 2012, years before TV bosses were truly pulled up on contestant duty of care. 

Tragically, it was the deaths of reality stars that prompted this change in protocol.

TV productions came under increased scrutiny following the deaths of former Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, and the suspected suicide of guest Steve Dymond, who died following a drug overdose after appearing on the Jeremy Kyle Show in 2019.

Concerns about reality show conduct were raised again after Love Island host Caroline Flack killed herself in 2020 while awaiting trial on assault charges.

TV watchdog Ofcom then demanded that TV shows provide duty of care to participants following a ‘steady rise in complaints’ over the shows. 

It stated that broadcasters should take due care in programmes featuring ‘conflict or emotionally challenging situations’ or if it ‘requires a person to disclose life-changing or private aspects of their lives’. 

So how was reality TV changed for the better and what are the scenes show bosses are no doubt hoping don’t ever resurface? 

TOWIE  

Now on season 33, TOWIE is officially the longest-running reality TV show in Britain, beating the likes of I’m a Celebrity and Big Brother to the accolade. 

The 2010 launch show marked a new era in reality television, a first for British audiences, who until then got their fix from The Hills – which popularised the ‘constructed reality’ genre that came to define Noughties TV. 

The bright lights of Los Angeles were swapped for the slightly greyer streets of Essex, with everyday people becoming overnight stars after being catapulted into the spotlight. 

Viewers were subject to the good, the bad and the ugly on-screen, including the notorious fist fight between Joey Essex and Ricky Rayment in 2012.

So shocking was the footage that the pair were questioned by police after it aired.

‘The officer gave words of advice to them about their behaviour in regards to the fracas and their conduct,’ a police spokesperson told The Sun. ‘The officer had viewed the footage and decided that was the best course of action.’

A TOWIE spokesperson said at the time: ‘Both Joey and Ricky have been informally warned about their conduct following the incident but the matter has not been taken any further.’

More recently, cast member Megan McKenna had to be physically restrained when she attacked then-boyfriend Pete Wicks during filming in 2017. 

The street fight was a shocking scene, as the cameras rolled while Megan screamed in her ex-boyfriend’s face while wildly gesticulating and pointing in his face.

While the scenes were worthy of TOWIE’s spectacular drama, things appeared to get out of hand later on when the brunette beauty launched at Pete as he held his arm up in defence before Megan got extremely close to his face in a wild gesture.

Part of TOWIE’s success, was the star’s willingness to trust the producers, but as former show star Kirk Norcross previously revealed, show bosses would play slippery tricks  to create drama.

Last month, Kirk revealed bosses had him dating another star when they were both in other relationships, forced him into contrived scenes while his grandad lay dying in hospital and chased ratings and clickbait at the expense of the young casts’ mental health.

Kirk, 35, tragically lost his dad Mick, 57, to suicide in 2021, after the pair had been central players in the glossy show about folk in Essex.

Now, speaking to podcast Strugglers Language, he said that his time on the ITV show, which is produced by Lime Pictures, had an impact on his family.

He said: ‘It was all manipulated, the whole of series one, me and Amy look like a couple, but I’m single.

‘During all this time, my grandad got put in hospital. So, I had to tell the production company that my grandad’s ill, so that I might have to pop to hospital now and then.

‘Lauren Pope and I had just split up, and straight away they say to me, “Who’d you fancy? We need to get you back into a relationship.”‘

Since reality TV has come under scrutiny, some show stars have spoken out in defence of TOWIE, including Tommy Mallet, who said he is happy with the support he has received from the programme after disclosing his battle with depression.

He said: ‘We’re looked after on TOWIE, I don’t know about any other show, I can’t talk for anyone else, but we were looked after. I had a breakdown and I was heavily looked after.’ 

When approached by MailOnline about their duty of care protocols, a A TOWIE spokesperson said: ‘The welfare of all TOWIE cast is of paramount importance to us. 

‘Our comprehensive welfare and psychological support services are continually reviewed and tailored to individuals if required, ensuring that all cast members receive a robust standard of care. 

‘In addition to this, we also provide access to several life advisory services to offer further support.’ 

Made In Chelsea

Launched as the ‘posh rival’ to TOWIE, Made In Chelsea aired the following year in 2011, chronicling the lives of the affluent young people in the west London.

While the stars may have prided themselves on being well-spoken, it didn’t stop just as much vitriol coming out of their months as their Essex counterparts. 

For much of the early seasons, lothario Spencer Matthews was seen gaslighting and entering into toxic relationships with women.

In one of the most memorable moments of the Channel 4 show, Spencer met girlfriend Louise Thompson on Putney Bridge where they ended their relationship. 

During the very heated shouting match after his infidelity came to light, Spencer said to the now influencer: ‘It’s very hard to respect you when you allow me to cheat on you’.

Reflecting on the scene Spencer later said on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail: ‘I feel embarrassed about it.’

He told how the pair had actually broken up in private the night before and were then told to meet the next day by producers.

Spencer confessed: ‘At the time I was a heavy drinker and there was a change in the wind and our relationship was very toxic at the time and it meant we had a huge screaming match that I really regret.’ 

His toxic relationship with Louise led to another shocking moment on the programme, when Louise’s best friend Millie Mackintosh came running to defend her. 

Spencer was confronted by Millie about an alleged infidelity, which left him flabbergasted and Louise in tears.  

As Spencer tried to shout the girls down, Millie countered with a swift slap that was so hard it knocked his gelled back hair out of place.

Following the big hit Millie then tweeted ‘Smackintosh’, which was also retweeted by her boyfriend at the time Professor Green.

Cheska Hull, who was famously branded a ‘f***ing fat Turkey’ in foul mouthed rant from Victoria Baker-Harber, recently said she ‘lost her life’ while starring on the reality show.

Looking back on her time on the series, Cheska recalls struggling with fame, loneliness and trolling during her three-year stint, telling how she ‘couldn’t go anywhere without people saying horrible things.’ 

Before every series of Made In Chelsea, Cheska was given a psychological assessment by Channel 4 and was required to speak to a therapist. 

Yet as she told Grazia the show still took an effect on her mental health, as she explained: ‘When something happens in your private life, you deal with it, or park it. 

‘But [with reality TV] you have to prepare yourself for everyone’s opinion six weeks after filming, when the show airs. It can be really draining to be constantly panicking like that.’

Love Island 

In 2019, ITV revealed key changes to their duty of care processes for Love Island, including enhanced psychological support and social and financial training following reality star deaths. 

The popular programme was responsible for launching the careers of hundreds of reality stars. Yet while it used a tried and tested format to appease its loyal viewers, the programme was accused of letting things go to far with the Islanders.

Over the years, several shocking moments played out on screen, including physical fights, stars having sex on camera and emotional manipulation. 

Viewers were left shocked in 2016 when beauty queen Zara Holland learnt she’d been stripped of her Miss Great Britain title after having sex on camera.

Producers told Zara that pageant bosses had watched her romp with Alex Bowen and said she was no longer the ‘positive role model’ they wanted.

She was told about losing her title in the villa and while she was devastated she decided to stay on the show. 

However, days later Zara learnt that her mother had fallen ill and decided to leave the villa to be by her side, much to the upset of her fellow Islanders. 

Earlier in the season, Malia Arkian became the first Islander to ever be thrown off the show after she was part of the most violent moment in Love Island history.

She was removed from the villa after just one day following a ‘physical altercation’ with Kady McDermott, with Kady later claiming she’d been punched in the face.

Shocked viewers watched on as Malia confronted Kady for spilling a drink on her, with things quickly escalating. 

Malia denied the claims and recently stated that she hit rock bottom after leaving and is ’embarrassed’ to watch the footage back.

In 2021, Faye Winter found herself also at the centre of Love Island’s most complained about moment ever after she lost her temper and launched into an expletive-filled row with Teddy Soares.  

A whopping 24,763 viewers took to the media watchdog to express their upset during the Movie Night challenge episode, where a clip showed Teddy telling fellow contestant Clarisse Juliette that he was ‘sexually attracted’ to her.

Faye’s rant – branded ‘horrendous’, ‘abusive’, and ‘gaslighting’ by fans of the show – resulted in the most expletive-ridden episode ever, with reports that contestants swore 125 times, while Faye is said to have said ‘f**k’ 57 times.

Faye later said she was embarrassed by the row and refuses to watch it back. 

The latest duty of care protocols saw a social media ban for contestants in a bid to limit trolling and training on how to avoid gaslighting and controlling behaviour in relationships. 

When approached by MailOnline for comment, a Love Island spokesperson shared a statement from Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Litchfield which outlines how the processes have evolved in recent years. 

It read: ‘I have reviewed Love Island’s duty of care processes from end to end and they show a degree of diligence that demonstrates the seriousness with which this is taken by the production team.

‘The processes and the support offered to Islanders have necessarily evolved as the show has developed and grown in popularity. 

‘The aim throughout has been to identify vulnerabilities at an early stage so that necessary adjustments can be made or potential Islanders can be advised that the show is not right for them. 

‘A high level of professional expertise has been engaged to provide comprehensive support not only while young people are actively engaged with the show but also for an extended period when they are adjusting to life thereafter. 

‘Professional input is a key element in safeguarding the wellbeing of Islanders but the genuine caring attitudes I have observed from those who make the show are as important.’

Big Brother

Last year saw the hotly-anticipate return of Big Brother UK rebooted on ITV, five years after the show came to an end on Channel 5.  

As expected, the show had stepped up its mental health support since the last instalment back in 2018.

The new duty of care protocols stated that Housemates must undergo a social media blackout, take part in ‘respect and inclusion training’ and will have access to one-on-one mental health support sessions before, during and after the show.

The respect and inclusion training aimed to set out expectations around use of language and acceptable behaviour in the House.

Bosses were no doubt hoping to avoid a repeat of shocking scenes that rightly or wrongly made the show so captivating in its inception. 

While on its original home of Channel 4, viewers watched on in horror at season five’s notorious Fight Night in 2004. 

The return of two contestants from a secret hidden bedsit caused the biggest and most explosive night of violence ever seen in the house, which resulted in the police being called and Housemates being ejected from the show. 

During the shocking scenes, which came after Housemates had been plied with alcohol, Nadia Almada flipped a table, Emma Greenwood threw a tray at Victor Ebuwa and he retaliated by launching a plate at her.

After this altercation, Emma screamed that she would kill him, and eventually, security were called in to separate the Housemates.

The next day, Emma was removed from the house and Viktor was made see a psychologist.

In season six, Big Brother came under fire again after airing one of the most shocking moments of the entire show.

Kinga Karolczak entered the house late in the series and left viewers aghast when she famously used a wine bottle as a tool for masturbation in the communal garden.

The half Polish, half Kuwaiti market researcher later blamed the excessive alcohol for her behaviour and apologised to her parents for engaging in the antics on television.

After moving from Channel 4 to Channel 5, Big Brother still faced its fair share of drama, with one episode, dubbed Fight Night Two, prompting a petition calling for Big Brother to be axed.

Series 18, which aired in 2017  saw Housemates throw drinks at each other, before embarking on a physical fight.

Viewers witnessed an incredibly aggravated Lotan Carter throw the end of his drink at housemates Isabelle, Deborah and Hannah after Isabelle made reference to him being a bad ‘role model’ to his son.

As the fight escalated with numerous housemates getting involved, security was called in urgently to the mansion while tempers frayed.

Despite being separated from each other, anger continued to seethe amongst the contestants as they placed blame on one another and reflected on the volatile evening that began with them simply partaking in a routine task.

Stripper Lotan was subsequently removed from the Elstree compound, several Housemates were given a final warning and everyone received a scolding about the behaviour the following day. 

Big Brother told Housemates: ‘The behaviour of several housemates was unacceptable.

‘More than one Housemate threw objects, more than one Housemate squared up to another Housemate or Housemates. 

‘You are all aware that provocation is not a complete excuse in these situations. You must all control your own behaviour.’ 

Ahead of the 2023 Big Brother reboot, an ITV statement read: ‘Registered and experienced mental health professionals are engaged throughout the whole series, to assess and support Housemates.

‘An experienced Big Brother welfare team is solely dedicated to the welfare of the Housemates before, during and after the show.

‘The welfare of everyone involved in the making of the programme is of paramount importance and welfare protocols have been carefully considered to deliver robust assessment of suitability to participate, informed consent and support throughout the casting and filming process and beyond.’

Geordie Shore  

Billed as the British version of Jersey Shore, viewers had quite a good idea of what to expect when Geordie Shore launched in 2011. 

The MTV reality show – which followed the lives of partying stars in Newcastle – produced hosts of celebrities and influencers including Vicky Pattison, Charlotte Crosby and Holly Hagan.

Yet over the years, the show has featured a number of shocking moments – often fuelled by an excessive amount of alcohol. 

Typically every episode would see the stars ‘going out on the pull’ as they would attempt to outdo each other by bringing home a ‘worldie’ to bed in the ‘shag pad.’ 

Viewers would watch on as their sexual conquests were filmed on camera before the, usually one night stand, would make a sheepish exit from the house. 

In 2016, Holly revealed that security measures brought into place by producers meant female admirers were vetted in a stringent manner.

While it may have appeared that the boys plucked their sexual conquests from the dancefloor, Holly revealed that any revellers wishing to meet one of the boys had to show proof of their age, consent to sex on camera, sign a form and then sober up for an hour before meeting them. 

It’s not known if this was the case for the co-stars themselves, who would often end up sleeping with each other if they came back solo. 

In 2016, things took a racy turn when Charlotte Crosby and Chloe Ferry engaged in a sex act on the show.

Charlotte, who was in an on/off relationship with co-star Gaz Beadle, was seen writhing around under the covers with Chloe after a drunken night out. 

Speaking at the end of the episode, Charlotte explained: ‘So me and Chloe are in the double bed and this is perfectly acceptable. I share a bed with Holly every single night. But we’re naked! But that’s fine, it’s hot in here.

‘Now we’re kissing, this is strange. Chloe’s slipping to the bottom of the bed. What are you doing? OH!’

Charlotte was also at the centre of another shocking moment when she came to blows with Marnie Simpson in an almighty clash.

She lashed out at the brunette beauty for kissing house newcomer Marty McKenna, mere hours after he had pulled her close pal Chloe.

Marnie’s lack of apology for her actions and shouting at Chloe rubbed Charlotte up the wrong way and to quote Holly the girls: ‘launched themselves at each other like two rockets in space’.

Security were forced to rush into the house to separate the women while their fellow stars also tried to rip them apart. 

In 2018 the show was reported to Ofcom by health academics who called it ‘one long advert for drinking’ after a study by researchers at the universities of Bath and Nottingham found nearly 80 percent of all scenes in the show contained alcohol. 

Addressing the cast’s duty of care protocols that year, Claire Poyser, managing director of Lime Pictures, said: ‘We have processes, policies and protocols. 

‘With Geordie Shore, where we have a [returning] cast, we keep in contact with that cast throughout the periods between filming. 

‘We also have a whole series of people professionals outside of Lime who we use, [such as] psychiatrists, psychologists and medical advisers.’

The later seasons of Geordie Shore have been more family friendly as they’ve seen the stars – now older and wiser – appearing on the programme with their partners and children.