BURSTING on to the scene in 2010, they quickly hooked the nation with snappy catchphrases, complex love triangles, and fiery catfights.
And more than a decade later, many of the original stars of The Only Way Is Essex have gone on to even bigger and better things.
Sisters Sam and Billie Faiers, Mark Wright, Lauren Goodger, and Lucy Mecklenburgh have all branched out from the ITV2 reality show in the years since - but others opted to shun the limelight.
As a new series of TOWIE kicks off this week, we take a look at what became of some of its OG stars. Kirk Norcross Cheeky lad Kirk, 34, was the ultimate Essex playboy and was a mainstay on the show until he left after the third season in 2011, returning briefly in later series.
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