TOWIE legend Lauren Goodger has shared some throwback photos of her sister Nicola in celebration of her 40th anniversary and we are LIVING for the memories.
Cast you mind back to 2011, when Mark Wright was king of Faces, Joey Essex was driving a smart car, and Maria Fowler was still on the show.
Nicola, who appeared in series two - four of the ITV show, is probably best remembered for being the woman Mick Norcross snubbed Gemma Collins for, taking her Champagne that the GC thought was intended for her. Oh, Gemma love.
Fast forward to 2023 and Nicola has just turned sweet 4-0.
She and half-sister Lauren became estranged for a brief period in 2021 before the birth of Lauren's daughter Larose, which Lauren blamed on the pressure of being in the public eye.
Glad to see they're pals again. Much like they were back in October 2012 when Lauren, Nicola and sister Rianna posed for a photoshoot and gave an in-depth interview to Closer about their reality TV plans.
Hold onto your hats for a slice of pure 2012 nostalgia...
Among the many reasons she admires her idol Kim Kardashian, Lauren Goodger loves that the star reveals all on her reality shows, explaining: “It’s funnier to be real.” And Lauren’s clearly decided honesty is the best policy as she drops into the make-up chair at our studio, admitting she’s “feeling ropey” from the night before.
However, recreating the Kardashians’ sultry poses for Closer’s exclusive shoot with sisters Nicola and Rianna, the former TOWIE star is soon at home glamming up – and the girls all admit they’d love a show of their own to rival the US TV family.
Lauren says: “You’d get to see a different side, the real us – doing what we want to do with no schedules.”
Nicola, who also starred in TOWIE, adds: “TOWIE’s a lot more staged, they set up scenarios. With Keeping Up With The Kardashians, you see everything. It would be nice to let people know we’re normal. We have hangovers.”
While Lauren, Nicola, and Rianna, are close, light-hearted squabbles break out as the three of them get ready for the shoot. While Lauren jokes that her quiet younger sister is “boring,” Rianna laughs: “I’m not as feisty as Lauren! We’re all different, but we’re protective of each other.”
Lauren says: “Rianna’s the most sensible, then me, then Nicola.”
Nicola squeals: “No! That’s only when we’re drunk! I’m the motherly one really and they come round to mine to be looked after but, when I’m drunk, it all goes out of the window.
“A night out with us normally starts with arguing. Lauren gets stressed because she’s not ready – she needs total silence when she’s glamming up.”
Nicola – mum to Charlie, and Ellie– reveals she and Rianna never worried about fame changing Lauren, laughing: “She’s always been a diva. Maybe she’s a bit worse.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Lauren’s ended up in TV. When she was little, she was mad – she was always the centre of attention. She’s got a great sense of humour, though.”
Lauren quickly protests: “I’m a funny diva! Don’t be jel!”
With perma-tans, hair extensions and taking a self-confessed average of three hours to get ready before a night out, the girls’ Essex lives might not be too far a leap from the glam LA world of the Kardashians.
Lauren explains: “If there’s anyone whose footsteps I could follow in, it would be Kim’s. She sticks to being a reality star, she’s not trying to be someone else. She’s got her brand, she’s a fashion icon and she’s a curvy girl – I think that’s partly why people love her.”
Size 12 Lauren has publicly struggled with her figure and has endured cruel online taunts about her looks in the past.
And while Lauren, like Kim, embraces her curves, she isn’t ruling out cosmetic procedures in the future. She says:
“I’m not against having work done, but there’s a limit. You don’t want to change yourself too much. I just ignore what people say.”
Rianna adds: “I don’t know why Lauren gets so much grief about her looks. I don’t actually like being a size 8-10, I want to put on weight. I feel like a tree – straight, with no shape!”
Nicola adds: “I find it hard that Lauren takes so much abuse. She’s really strong like that.”
The sisters clearly support each other a lot, though Nicola moans that Lauren ignores her love-life advice. Lauren ended her 10-year on/off relationship with fiancé Mark Wright last August and, after a brief fling with TOWIE star Tom Pearce recently, she’s now single.
Nicola says: “We definitely don’t have the same taste – except for Channing Tatum. I go for personality, but Lauren goes for attractive guys that treat her mean. If someone is too nice it’s a turn-off for her.
“It’s frustrating, we’ll sit and chat for an hour and she’ll be going: ‘Yeah you’re right’ then just do the opposite.”
She adds: “I always say she should go for someone older, but Lauren’s turning into a bit of a cougar because all the boys she fancies are younger! She needs someone on her wavelength, not so into going out partying with the boys.”
But Lauren says she likes being single and, while she enjoys being an auntie to Nicola’s children, she’s not ready to have her own.
The reality star adds: “I love kids and look forwards to having them one day. I want five, or as many as I can have. Then I could bring out a baby range.”