Rumours have been swirling about her potential return to TOWIE, with a spokesperson revealing last week how that chapter of Lauren Goodger's life “isn’t fully closed”.
And now, insiders say that following a turbulent 12 months, Lauren Goodger is considering returning to the reality show that propelled her to fame – and she is prepared to show a very vulnerable side.
A source says, “‘Lauren has been doing a lot of reflecting about it all and she wants to go back on TOWIE to set the record straight. She wants to talk about a lot of big things that have happened in her life and she knows it’s going to be emotional, but she feels it will be really therapeutic for her.”
Lauren, 36, was a TOWIE original but left in 2012, going on to star in shows such as Dancing On Ice and Celebrity Big Brother. Across a six-series stint on TOWIE, her on/off relationship with ex-fiancé Mark Wright featured explosive arguments, several break-ups and multiple allegations of infidelity, including Lauren learning that he’d cheated on her with co-star Lucy Mecklenburgh.
Now an insider says that Lauren is particularly keen to have another shot on the show to get her side of the story across.
“Lauren has always felt she was edited unfairly on the show – and made to look a certain way to fit a certain narrative, particularly with her relationship with Mark,” the source says.
“When it comes to Mark, she wants to acknowledge it one last time, as she feels she was really misinterpreted as the crazy ex-girlfriend. That just wasn’t the truth. Lauren felt she had no choice but to speak about the relationship outside of the show, and then Mark would always beg her to drop it and claim that she just couldn’t let their relationship go. But for Lauren, it was just about standing up for herself.”
Lauren and Mark, 36, have had several wars of words since they left the show. In 2015, Mark urged his ex-girlfriend to stop speaking about him and wife Michelle Keegan, writing in part of a thread of Tweets, “If you’re reading this, please PLEASE respect my wife and STOP. Everyone has a past, get over it! I really didn’t want to have to do this but enough is enough. I wish you well but leave me, my life and my wife out of it. I’m sure there are other ways to make money.”
Lauren – who is mum to Larose, 21 months – has previously opened up about the moment she bumped into Mark and Michelle at the gym. She told heat in 2019, “They don’t talk, it’s really weird. I was like, ‘F***ing hell, we weren’t like that’. It’s like they don’t know each other. I can’t go into that though. I’m just so glad that ain’t me.”
And our source explains that Mark will not be off-limits for Lauren if she makes a comeback on the show.
The source says, “She’ll have no choice but to address the elephant in the room – her toxic relationship with Mark. She’s made no secret of it and there’s already been talk among some old cast members who have warned Mark to brace himself.
“But Lauren has said she’s not going to trash him despite the fact she thinks it’s unfair that he came out of it all unscathed and went on to become TV’s golden boy, while she really struggled to land the same gigs – even though she feels she made the show what it was. She’s looking at this as an opportunity for redemption. She has said she’s not going to hold back if the topic comes up, she wants to get her side across.”
While Mark moved on with Michelle, Lauren has had a turbulent love life since leaving TOWIE. She has dated convict Joey Morrison and also had a long-term relationship with Jake McLean, who tragically died last July in a car accident. Heartbreakingly, Lauren had a stillbirth weeks later with now ex-boyfriend Charles Drury – who is also father to Larose – before he was arrested for alleged domestic abuse.
And the source adds that Lauren is also hoping going back to TOWIE will give her something to focus on while helping others.
The source says, “Lauren wants to talk about everything she’s been through – not just Mark. She wants to start a new chapter in her life and feels this is a great time to do it, while also addressing some of the things from her past that have been left unsaid. She wants to be open about what’s happened in the past year, her emotions and her healing, so that not only can she help others going through something similar, but she can help heal herself too.”