Real talk, we were a little worried that TOWIE might end up living in the shadow of Big Brother and Strictly this autumn. That's a hella lot of reality telly fun all at once – even for us sofa veterans who genuinely don't leave our homes at this time of year.
Nevertheless, TOWIE returned, slapped and slayed and just like that, the series finale is upon us this Sunday (12 November) – and if the teasers are anything to go by, those Brentwood-based boys and babes are planning to go out with a bang.
Here's what we know; as per usual, the TOWIE finale will revolve around a massive party involving all of the cast. Well, not all the cast; TOWIE fans will already know that Chloe Brockett was suspended just ahead of the finale filming after an, erm, alleged altercation with Roman Hackett.
An explosive TOWIE series finale WITHOUT Chloe Brockett? Can producers pull such a thing off? Don't worry, they're bringing in the big guns to ensure those final moments of drama are truly drama-ing. And by big guns, we mean Saffron Lempriere's right-hand queen, Lauren Bayford.
Not only is she 'fiery' af, but her hair matches to boot.
Lauren last appeared on TOWIE in series 31 and famously hit headlines earlier this year when it was revealed that she had allegedly had a fling with Jordan Brook – who is now loved up with Sophie Kasaei – in 2022. So, yeah, it's safe to say we're excited to see this former love triangle awkwardly reunite.
Jordan apparently hooked up with Lauren around the same time he was semi-dating Ella Rae Wise and Chloe B – before things with Sophie got serious.
A source told The Sun back in April, "Lauren is a redhead and she’s gorgeous, she is going to make quite an impact on TOWIE by claiming that she and Jordan had a thing last year.
"Viewers saw Jordan on dates with Chloe and enjoying snogs with Ella - but friends close to Lauren claim that she was seeing him in the background the whole time off camera.
"Now Lauren wants a chance to have her say.
"The drama with Jordan and with Chloe isn’t just about them – it is also about Lauren who felt she was kept hidden in the background."
Another love triangle set to reunite at the finale party is that of James 'Diags' Bennewith, his girlfriend Jodie Wells and Elma Pazar. In the last episode, Elma revealed that her and Diags shared a few drunken kisses at Amber Turner's after party – something Diags denies/has conveniently repressed.
Jodie is set to find out during the finale and confront both Diags and Elma at the party – in front of everyone, of course.
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Ben Pulsford is a digital writer for Closer online. He is also a London based drag queen called Beary Poppins. He has been watching TOWIE since day dot and has had the TOWIE Christmas song on his gym playlist for well over a decade. The word is motivation.