When TOWIE first graced our screens in 2010, little did we know the impact the Essex based reality show would have on our lives.
From the never-ending drama to the glitzy dresses, we were (still are) completely obsessed with everyone and everything The Only Way Is Essex. But according to these new figures, the nation’s love of TOWIE is way more than a guilty TV pleasure…
An ITVBe documentary about the show , The Power Of TOWIE, revealed that the creation of the show had boosted the economy by a mind-boggling £1.4 BILLION!
Wowza.
Basically, we now can’t get enough of the Essex style, with sales of false nail increasing five fold, and sales of false lashes trebling.
Not to mention fake tan and vajazzles…
The documentary’s presenter (and former TOWIE golden boy) Mark Wright also revealed that our friends overseas have also seen the money pile up thanks the ITVBe show.
That’s right, spin of show The Only Way Is Marbs and cast filming in Las Vegas has seen Brits picking the TOWIE hotspots as holiday destinations, too.
Plus Essex itself has become quite the place to be, with tourists flocking in to hit up Sugar Hut and see all the spots their icons film day-today.
And just about every person to ever feature on the show has there own spin off money making business – think fashion lines, beauty salons and tell-tale autobiographies.
That’s one stat to hit back at the reality show critics, right?