The TOWIE cast got bigger last year when Geordie Shore’s Sophie Kasaei, already a reality TV legend, joined the show after going public in her relationship with Essex boy Jordan Brook.
Sophie also swapped Newcastle for Essex, leaving her hometown behind to move down south and live with Jordan.
Although she’s loved-up with the barber and is often seen living her best life on TOWIE, Sophie has admitted that her big move has been “hard” and has even left her in tears at times as she’s “secluded” from her friends and family.
“To be fair, I don’t really see anyone from Essex. I always say to Jordan, ‘Please can you just mention to the TOWIE people that I’m around and I’d love to go out and do nights out and stuff like that’, but it’s hard because they’ve got their own friends and they’ve got their own lives,” Sophie exclusively told Closer ahead of the new series of Geordie Shore.
She added, “Although I’d love to be out all the time with so many people, I am a little bit so secluded in the area. I don’t really have many friends there, I’ve only got Jordan, so it is hard.
“Everyone’s been so welcoming as well, I just know they’ve got their own lives so I’m not going to be like, ‘Hi, remember me? Can I hang out with you?’ It’s a bit embarrassing.”
But despite the tough times, Sophie told us, “I love living in Essex.
“I love how we’re close to London, there’s a lot more going on. I’m so out of the way where I live, I just live in the middle of nowhere.
“What I do miss is, I miss all my friends, but I get to see them all the time because they’re always in London. I do miss my family so much, like I cry all the time.”
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Nathan Katnoria is Closer's Senior Digital Writer and resident TOWIE expert. He's seen all 32 (thirty two!!) series of the ITVBe show and regularly reminisces about forgotten TOWIE romances from years gone by. Although he's never been to Brentwood, Nathan has interviewed loads of TOWIE faves past and present including Sam Faiers, Chloe Brockett, Diags and Georgia Kousoulou.