‘It’s not over for me with or without TOWIE'
Tuesday 01 May 2012
She’s spent the past two years keeping viewers glued to The Only Way Is Essex with her diva tantrums and chaotic love life but, last week, Lauren Goodger was reportedly “suspended” from the hit show, after a row with producers.
The showdown happened after Lauren, 25, became annoyed that her scenes at a party kept getting pushed back because producers were filming James “Arg” Argent, Billi Mucklow and Cara Kilbey, who had taken part in the London Marathon earlier that day.
A source says: “Lauren was shouting at a producer, saying the show treated her appallingly. The producer told Lauren she wouldn’t speak to her while she was in that state and Lauren then threatened to quit, saying she was the star of the show and would go to MTV, where she and her sisters would be the new Kardashians.’’
Lauren was told she’d be filming no more scenes for at least a week and a meeting has been scheduled with TOWIE bosses to discuss her future. As Closer went to press, her role on the show was still in the balance, but a source says she’s been telling pals: “I’m in demand. I’m getting work offers. It’s not over for me, with or without TOWIE. I’m a star!”
The source adds: “Lauren’s very anxious about starting something new, as she doesn’t like to be out of her comfort zone. But she refuses to feel pressured by the TOWIE producers. After her run-in with them, she stayed at home in bed and didn’t answer any calls for a day or two.
“Lauren’s feeling emotional, but she knows she has to pull it together. She had been saying she’s already got an MTV show lined up and has been offered £500,000 to leave TOWIE, but she was exaggerating the situation. There’s nothing planned at all, just a few talks. ”
Last week, Lauren showed her anger by posting a string of cryptic messages on Twitter, writing: “Think about time spread my wings a lot things arising @NicolaGoodger @Rianna Goodger.”
She later added: “Never been so angry in all my life! All I can say is what a shame.”
But sources say Lauren – who’s paid £80 a day for TOWIE filming – has been irritating the show’s producers for a few months with her diva demands.
A pal says: “Lauren was recently told that if she kept being late for filming, she’d be fined, but she snapped: ‘Well, if you supplied a car for me, I wouldn’t be!’ She also refused to let a junior make-up artist do her make-up and requested her own bodyguard.
“Lauren regularly complains that the lighting on set makes her look like she has a double chin. She wants her scenes to be shot first, so she can then be free for her other jobs.”
Now insiders say Lauren – who had a catfight with her ex- boyfriend Mark Wright’s sister, Jessica, last February and hasn’t spoken to her since – has asked her TOWIE pals Chloe Sims and Frankie Essex to report back to her about anyone who has been back-stabbing her on set.
Last week, TOWIE newcomer Ricky Rayment revealed in an interview that he’d also had a fall-out with Lauren, saying: “I am not really friends with Lauren. She likes herself quite a lot. All she talks about is herself on the show. She still thinks she’s queen bee. She was at her peak in the early series and she’s clinging on.”
A source says: “A lot of the TOWIE cast are texting each other saying: ‘The only way is exit for LG!’ Lauren’s telling pals the back-stabbing all stems from her fight with Jess. She says Chloe, Frankie, Georgina Dorsett and Lauren Pope are the only girls she trusts.”
Lauren’s suspension from the show is the latest in a long line of traumatic incidents. In February, police were called when the star’s new salon Lauren’s Way was “petrol bombed” and, just a month later, paramedics were called to her home after she stress-induced panic attack.
And, since splitting up with her ex-fiancé Mark, 25 – who Lauren dated on/off for 10 years – last August, the star has regularly spoken out about her battle with her weight, which has fluctuated between a size 8 and a 14.
A source says: “Lauren’s been telling herself something good must come out of this. She’s worried about money if she’s axed, as she realises she needs to use her popularity on TV to keep Lauren’s Way a hit.
“She wishes she’d left the show when Mark did last year and says she no longer wants to be treated like some ‘extra’ when she’s the star. She wants to leave as soon as possible, but is waiting for another solid TV offer.”
By Katie Banks
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