TOWIE may have only just wrapped up filming but series 36 is already in the works, and sources say there’s drama unfolding behind-the-scenes as tensions have ‘amplified tenfold’ since Dan Edgar appeared on Dancing On Ice, and Ella Rae Wise appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.
An insider tells Closer, ‘Some of the cast are being spiteful and jealous of each other and it’s beyond toxic. They’re going crazy at others who are getting opportunities – the lads are furious Dan got Dancing On Ice, and now they’re all pi**ed off that Ella got CBB. The jealousy was clear to see when she was on the show, with so few of her cast mates actually supporting her while she was in the house.’
Ella, 24, and Dan, 35, were dating before her stint on CBB in April, but she called things off just a week before she went into the house saying, ‘Things happened behind closed doors that I couldn’t get over. For once, I put myself first.’ They’d first got together during a trip to Bali at the beginning of 2024, and were together for around 18 months, during the time Dan took part in Dancing On Ice back in January this year.
While Ella and Dan’s relationship will no longer be in the spotlight on TOWIE, the show has had plenty of attention after a few of the OG cast members have returned over the years. Amy Childs and Lauren Goodger both came back to appear on the show in 2020 and 2024 respectively, and fans loved seeing their favourites back on the screen. Lauren’s return sparked the show’s most-watched launch episode in three years, and when Amy reappeared, comments from fans flooded in over how happy they were to see her again, with one saying, ‘It’s only right Amy being there, she was a huge part of the show’, and another fan commenting, ‘I’d love to watch a few more of the older cast members.’
With the cast members and their relationships being the core of the show, it’s not surprising that the producers weren’t best pleased when Ella and Dan split up just before CBB, as they felt like they missed out on a storyline. Our source says, ‘Production were not happy with Ella for breaking up with Dan off camera before going into the house. Team TOWIE feel CBB got the exclusive on the break-up rather than them, so she certainly ruffled some of the bosses’ feathers.’
But is all the drama working against the show? While cast-mates may want more screen time or deals outside of the show, that doesn’t seem to be what fans want as our source shares, ‘Insiders are branding the show The Only Way Is Toxic, saying some of the cast would sell their souls for a storyline or brand deal, and have no idea what the world loyalty means.’