TOWIE axings: cast who were booted off the show and the jaw-dropping reasons why

After threatening to "stick a knife" in Megan Tomlin, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his son Teddy, in a shocking expletive-filled recording, Dan Osborne was sacked from TOWIE in 2015. He was also heard branding his ex a "slag" and a "dirty little c**t". Essex Police launched an investigation into the threats, although it was later dropped. At the time, Dan issued an apology which read, "It has taken me a while to find the right words but I would like to say that I am truly sorry to anyone who was offended by what they heard. I am unable to talk about the difficulties with my current family situation but I am taking steps to resolve it to achieve the best outcome for my son. I am ashamed and embarrassed that I allowed myself to reach such a dark place that I behaved in a way that even I didn't recognise."

Mike Hassini was first axed by TOWIE bosses in August 2016 after drunkenly crashing his car while driving home from a wrap party. Police found the reality star to be three times over the limit and in possession of cocaine.Mike made a return to the show almost a year later in July 2017 but was given the boot once again as his off-screen relationship meant he wasn't able to take part in any exciting storylines. The now 27 year old was last seen making a one-off appearance in 2018 and is currently waiting to be sentenced after pleading guilty to dealing drugs and possession of criminal property.

Jess Wright and Lucy Mecklenburgh are TOWIE icons but back in 2013, they were temporarily suspended from the show after a vicious bust-up with fellow cast member Jasmin Walia. The fight was never aired on TV, although Jasmin was pictured leaving hospital with bandages and plasters on her arms. "The row was getting out of hand and way beyond the usual handbags that go on on the show. A producer decided he had to act and dashed in to break it up," an Essex insider revealed at the time. Jess and Lucy were later given the green light to return to filming.

James 'Arg' Argent starred in the first 23 series of TOWIE but was sacked from the show in 2019 after reportedly failing a drugs test. It was claimed that Arg tested positive for cocaine and was therefore not allowed to return to filming.The Essex legend opened up about his long-running cocaine addiction last year and revealed that two overdoses had spurred him on to enter a boot camp in Thailand and get clean.

Arg's ex-girlfriend Gemma Collins is another TOWIE star who was booted off the show for bad behaviour after allegedly throwing a champagne flute at bosses following her infamous on-screen row with Bobby Norris, Lauren Pope and Vas Morgan.At the time, a source told The Sun, "She told bosses that she was fed up that they kept putting her in confrontational situations. After her row with Vas she threw a massive hissy fit – and the producers bore the brunt of it. As she left she threw a glass of champagne in the direction of the bosses."

Mario Falcone found himself in hot water with TOWIE bosses in 2014 when footage of him allegedly snorting cocaine was posted online, leading to him being suspended from the show. "The industry we are in and the age I am, you do things that are out of character and very immature and that is part of growing up. It wasn't a dark place or anything like I have been in the past, it was just stupidity. It is a lesson learned," Mario said on This Morning at the time.But that wasn't last strike as he breached his contract a year later by promoting slimming pills on social media and was banned from filming The Only Way is Marbs special. Mario later returned to the show but left for good two years later.

"WHO?," we hear you cry. You might not recognise Ruby Lacey and Maddie Hooper as they were barely on our screens for long but bosses brought the pair in to shake things up and cause a stir with the male cast members in 2017. However, it later came to light that they both had secret off-screen boyfriends meaning romance with any of their co-stars was off the cards and they were quietly let go at the end of series 21.

Back in 2014, Lockie was arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs and criminal damage and later pleaded guilty to the possession of ketamine in court. Luckily, he avoided jail time and was instead given conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 in costs. Of course, the scandal didn't go down well with TOWIE bosses and he was suspended while all this was going on before later returning to the show.

Chloe Sims' sisters Demi and Frankie have become major cast members since they were introduced to TOWIE a few years ago but they, alongside pal Harry Derbidge, were forced to miss a few episodes last year when they were filmed flouting lockdown rules. Thankfully, it was a temporary suspension rather than a permanent axing and Demi and Frankie remain on the show today.