The Only Way Is Essex hit the silver screen in 2010 and has continued to captivate fans for more than a decade.
The ITV2 show has been on air for more than 12 years, with 29 series and more than 350 episodes under its belt.
Catapulting several members of the cast to stardom, the show became a platform and prompted a surge of reality TV shows across the country.
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Past and present stars from the show have undergone major transformations since the show first aired, with several openly admitting to going under the knife.
As it's been 12 years since the first episode of TOWIE, Daily Star has looked how the cast has changed over the years.
Amy Childs
At just 20, beautician Amy became known for bringing the "vajazzling" trend to the UK.
During the first episode, the star sported deep red hair and plenty of fake tan, looking completely different to how she is known now.
The 32-year-old is one cast member who has gone under the knife on several occasions, but recently admitted there are things she regrets.
In the BBC documentary I've Been There, Amy spoke to two young girls about her own cosmetic surgery which includes two boob jobs, Botox, lip fillers and veneers.
Warning the girls a about the dangers that come with surgery, Amy confessed that she regretted “everything”.
She said: “I honestly look back at pictures now and I look like a freak."
Amy, who once admitted to being addicted to surgery, told the duo: "I've got so much advice to give to you, it will definitely put you off surgery just so you know. I regret everything I've had done, everything.”
Chloe Sims
While she didn't appear in the first episode, Chloe quickly made a name for herself after walking into Amy Childs' salon during the second season of TOWIE in 2011.
Appearing worlds away to how she looks now, the reality star has always been very honest about her usage of cosmetic procedure.
Her own procedures include lip fillers, two boobs jobs, a double Brazilian butt lift, Botox and veneers.
The now 40-year-old has insisted that she's never had surgery on her face however, admitting at the Nella Rose launch party with PrettyLittleThing: "I know people like to presume that it boils down to surgery, but I haven’t changed my face in a constructional way."
The former playboy bunny remained on the show for 11 years before departing in 2021, leaving as the longest-serving cast member.
Chloe and her siblings, Frankie and Demi Sims, have signed a huge deal with content sharing site OnlyFans and have reportedly been given £1 million for their own programme, House of Sims.
James 'Arg' Argent
Arg stormed onto the scene as Mark Wright's best pal during the first episode and was a main figure on the hit reality show for eight years.
Arguably in one of the biggest transformations of them all, Arg has been open with his struggle with weight over the years, reaching 27 stone during lockdown
The 34-year-old had life-saving gastric sleeve surgery in 2021 and went on to lose a whopping 13 stone.
Speaking about his dramatic change in weight, the former TOWIE star told The Sun: "This is the first time in my life that I like the way I look too – I don’t feel ugly anymore – I’m content and happy with my appearance.
"The only problem now is I’ve lost a little bit too much weight and I need to put on half a stone,” he added.
But his change in weight isn't the only thing that affected his appearance as the star admitted to having a nose job back in 2017.
He explained that he decided to have the procedure after his four stone weight lost left him feeling as though his nose was "too big."
Taking to Instagram with the results, he thanked his surgeon for improving his "overall confidence and self-esteem."
Lauren Goodger
Lauren joined the show aged 25 and her tumultuous relationship with Mark Wright became a key feature in the early seasons.
The now 36-year-old was a secretary but following her success as a TV star, quit her job and focused on television full time.
The Celebs Go Dating star looks visibly different from her TOWIE days and has been open about the surgery she has had done.
The star confessed to having fillers but admitted she was put off shortly after because of how they made her face look.
She told new! Magazine: "I had the filler in my jaw. At first I thought: 'Wow!' But when I got papped – I'm not joking – I looked like The Mask.
"Five days later I got it dissolved. I'd never get filler in my face again."
In 2011, Lauren revealed she spent £4,000 on nose job after a nephew dropped a metal toy on her face, however the procedure left her with breathing difficulties.
Lauren has also had other facial altercations including lip fillers, Botox, and fillers that created her defined jawline.
Last year, in a column for New! magazine, she revealed that her fillers were dissolved, leaving her looking “a lot classier and less fake."
Sam Faiers
Sam was amongst the younger cast members during the first season of TOWIE, aged 19 during the shows first episode.
She made quite the impact during her four year stint, with her relationships with Mark Wright and Joey Essex taking centre stage.
The ITV2 star looks worlds away from her younger self, however, despite fans often questioning whether she has gone under the knife, Sam has remained adamant that she is completely natural.
Speaking on The Mummy Diaries podcast in January, Sam said: "I honestly have never, ever, had Botox," insisting the change in her appearance is largely down to her face changing as she's gotten older, adding: "Your face changes from being 18 to 28. No one looks the same!”
The reality star endured similar questions back in 2015 when it was rumoured surfaced that she had “surgery, fillers and an eye lift."
The mum-of-three addressed the claims on Instagram, saying: “At fashion week I tried new looks with my make-up & now according to them I have had a face life… It’s hurtful and not true.”
Harry Derbidge
During filming of the first episode, Harry was the youngest person on the scene when he was introduced as Amy's cousin at the age of 17.
The reality star was only on the show for a year, briefly returning for a stint in 2014 before coming back permanently in 2020.
Over a decade later, the star couldn't look more different from his early days and is now a makeup artist, often shares snippets of his work on Instagram.
The star has always been open about his battle with an eating disorder, once confessing that he had a "fear of food" and ate so little that his stomach shrunk to a tiny size.
After Harry returned to screens in 2020, comments about his weight and accusations of cosmetic procedures were the topic of conversation.
Taking to Twitter to address what was being said, he informed his followers: "Honestly… I won’t say this again, I haven’t had any filler or Botox in my face, the only thing I have had done is a tiny bit of lip filler… so can we all stop comparing 16 year old harry to 26 year old harry. It actually makes me laugh…"
Lucy Mecklenburgh
Lucy is another cast member that looks nearly unrecognisable in comparison to her first stint on the show.
Joining later in season one, Lucy became centre of the drama due to her on-off relationship with Mark Wright, followed by her tumultuous on-off relationship with Mario Falcone.
Joining the show with deep red hair and plenty of fake tan, the star has since taken on a more natural look in recent years.
Despite being offered £10,000 worth of free surgery, the mum-of-two insisted she has never gone under the knife.
She revealed in 2019: "From the age of 19 I’ve been offered free boob jobs, free Botox, free fillers on a weekly basis. They used to go through my agent but now it’s direct to my Twitter and Instagram: "Hi, Lucy, we’re happy to give you £10,000 of free surgery!"
The TV personality admitted that she came increasingly close after going for a consultation with a surgeon on Harley Street to have a procedure done on her face.
However, the star was soon put off and later admitted she was "relieved" she didn't go through with it.
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