TOWIE to be remade in other countries, says creator

THE ONLY Way Is Essex creator Tony Wood has said that he wants to make versions of the hit show in other countries, including the US.

Speaking at the Nations and Regions Media Conference in Salford, Wood said that the show could be recreated in "Texas, Florida, or even both."

The ‘Structured Reality – The Inside Story’ talk was chaired by Helen Bullough, Head of CBBC Production at MediaCityUK and an avid TOWIE fan.

When asked about the departure of the show’s star, Mark Wright, Wood said that he considered the show to be about a community, not individual characters, and that it was a “living soap opera”.

He also stressed that none of the show was scripted but that the production team “push them into an environment that can be filmed to bring out the cast’s true personality”.

The Only Way Is Essex has been a huge hit and four series have been broadcast to date. The show is said to have caused the ‘TOWIE effect’ boosting British industry by £1.4 billion with huge increases in sales of fake tan, acrylic nail sets and vajazzles.

Mr Wood said that the creators have to take care of the cast, both physically and psychologically. He said this in relation to incidents including attacks on the members of the cast and their property revealing “a lot of money had been spent on their welfare”.

Although he believes that the cast should be supported, Mr Wood said that all the people involved in the show had said their lives had been “massively enhanced”. He discussed a recent conversation with Lydia Bright where she said that “a lot of financial and business opportunities had opened up to her due to the show”.

Wood concluded by saying that “as long as the characters and storylines remained compelling and interesting,” the show would continue for many years to come.

By Elliot Millward