We’ll say this for the reality stars we write about on Closer online: they keep us on our toes (is that a boxing reference? We hope so). Just when we think we’ve got a Real Housewives of Cheshire or TOWIE star all figured out - BOOM. Curveball. Friends can become enemies, enemies can become friends and boyfriends can get with their ex’s best mates.
But let’s be honest, if their lives were boring we just wouldn’t care, would we? It’s why they’re on TV and we commit to two hours of Strictly every weekend and pay for an ITVX subscription.
Take Real Housewives of Cheshire icons Lauren Simon and Paige Chohan, for example. Last time we saw these reality telly legends on screen they were hurling jibes at each other at the series 17 reunion, following an intense series feud; which we have to say, genuinely upset us, as we’ve interviewed both of these Cheshire queens and we're loyal subjects to each of them.
Put these two in a boxing ring and we genuinely wouldn’t know which corner to stand in. Hold on to that, because that’s definitely a boxing reference.
It’s been months since the cast filmed the reunion for series 17 - and as we’ve heavily stressed now - truly anything can happen to reality stars in that period of time. Enemies can truly become the best of friends and even join forces to call out a publication for questioning where things stand between them in the here and now.
While filming the first few scenes for series 18 - the long awaited ten year anniversary season - on a girls trip in Thailand, Lauren and Paige took to an actual boxing ring to jokingly stage a fight for the sake of Closer online, after we mentioned that the former rivals had not been spotted together in Thailand just yesterday.
Turning to the camera and pretending to spar with Paige, Lauren jokingly said, ‘Okay, Closer magazine, if you’re watching, we are going to kick a**.’
To which Paige jested, ‘Put your bets on, Paige versus Lauren. Who do you think’s going to win?’
It’s safe to say after the video Lauren shared on her Instagram story - clearly making light of her previous clashes with Paige and poking fun at our assumptions - that these two are on the same, well, page now. And, honestly, we love to see it, because as much as we love a bit of drama, we prefer the whole cast working together as one iconic unit.
And honestly, we’re just happy to be part of the storyline. These queens can’t return to our screens soon enough.
What happened at The Real Housewives of Cheshire series 17 reunion?
The series 17 reunion ended in utter chaos earlier this summer. Okay, to be fair, most of the Real Housewives reunions end in utter chaos, but this was something else. We can only assume production nailed down all the set furniture ahead of time, otherwise large objects would've certainly been thrown.
In their nine years on our screens, the Cheshire ladies had never been this divided ahead of a reunion - with Lystra Adams, Paige, Eleanor Egar and Sheena Lynch on one side, and Rachel Lugo, Lauren, Nicole Sealey and Seema Malhotra on the other.
A few factors led us to this frosty point in RHOCheshire history, but one of the major ones was the beef that had been sizzling between Lauren and Paige during series 17
Towards the end of last series, Paige and the Celebrity Big Brother star came to blows over several scheduling conflicts – sparked by Lauren not reaching out to Paige following the birth of baby Nora – which resulted in an explosive row at Lystra's party for Paige's daughter, Nora, and some choice words being used at the reunion, with Lauren claiming that the co-stars were not friends and were a 'four out of ten on likability' and Paige claiming that Lauren 'disrespected Nora's name'.
The phrase which stands out in our minds is, 'Are you comparing Big Brother to the birth of my child?'
That all blew up in May, but in July, Paige exclusively revealed to Closer at The National Reality TV Awards that her and Lauren were speaking again.
When asked whether she'd spoken to Lauren since the reunion was filmed, Paige exclusively told Closer online, 'Well, she might have text here and there, but we haven't seen each other, so we'll see. Maybe in the future I'll have a chat with her. For the moment it's left where it is.'
Well, things have definitely improved since then if they're posting mock fight videos together on Instagram.
WATCH: Tanya Bardsley and Lauren Simon spill the tea on RHOCheshire's 10th anniversary
Ben Pulsford is a digital writer for Bauer Media, writing for both Closer online and heatworld. When he's not getting paid to gossip about TOWIE, Love Island and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, he's storming the London LGBTQ+ scene as drag queen, Beary Poppins. Both Ben and Beary are awaiting an invite to join The Real Housewives of Cheshire for series 18. The budget's not there, but the drama is 💅