TWO Towie OGs snubbed from ‘most luxurious cast trip ever’ ahead of new series
TWO TOWIE stars have been snubbed from the Bali away trip - as the cast head off on the "most luxurious getaway ever".
In a surprise move, TV favourites Lauren Goodger and Amy Childs will not be joining the rest of their co-stars on the sunkissed trip.
Instead, the two OGs will remain in Essex and continue to film their own storylines.
A show source told The Sun: “Lauren and Amy aren’t going on the trip with the cast to Bali.
"With the trips it’s always storyline dependent, so not everyone will go as it’s about getting the right mix of people with interacting plots.
"Amy and Lauren will be staying in Essex, where filming will continue simultaneously, as there is always plenty of drama on home turf."
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But Lauren, who is mum to three-year-old daughter Larose, and mum-of-four Amy, are said to be happy with the decision.
The source added: "Neither of them are bothered, they are both busy mums so it suits them to not have to leave the kids, or have to take them with them."
The Sun has contacted a Towie rep for comment
The cast trip will be to Bali, where they have previously filmed, but still promises drama, tension and some romance like before.
The previous trip to Bali saw Dan Edgar and Ella Rae Wise start their romance.
An insider speaking exclusively to The Sun revealed: "Everyone involved with Towie loved shooting the last cast trip in Bali - so much so they have decided to go back to kick off the next series.
"It looks gorgeous and exotic on camera, and there is always loads of drama that plays out against the glamorous backdrop.
"Who could forget Dan and Ella hooking up in Bali last series - it fuelled the storylines for the rest of the run."
Towie goodbye?
The current series of TOWIE has already been streamed 8.5 million times on ITVX, with similar numbers expected for the new series.
However not everyone is a fan of the new series, as one iconic star from the show has called for it to come off air.
Bobby Norris spent nine years on the show between 2012 and 2021 - pulling in 30 times more viewers than the current series.
Speaking to his Access All Areas co-host Ellen Coughlan on Fubar Radio, he said: “I was a little bit sad, because in my day we used to get between 1.5 million and 2 million views an episode.
"So when I saw 48,000 viewers, even though I'm not there, it's sad. I think the legacy is kind of going so downhill now.
"Since the day I left, I've never watched the show, but if you can't even pull in 50,000 viewers, I think, do you know what? Give the show the respect it deserves.
"It’s like having a dog in the corner of the kitchen that's dragging a broken leg, like you would be kind, and you’d take him to the vet and let him go to sleep.”
However an ITV spokesperson however insisted that the overnight ratings were far from the full picture as the episodes are uploaded on ITVX before airing on ITVBe.
The rep also claims most fans watch the show on streaming rather than its live broadcast.
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They said: "The Only Way Is Essex is one of our most successful reality franchises across ITVX, and the show's performance and popularity is evident in the 8.5 million streams the show has generated across the current series.
"To base the show's success on overnight figures, which account for less than a quarter of the show's total audience, is misleading."
