INTERVIEW
TOWIE star James Bennewith – aka Diags – tells Closer why Chloe Sims has the hump with him, and hints he’s back on the dating scene!
It’s hard to believe Diags– real name James Bennewith – has been a staple on The Only Way Is Essex for over a decade.
And as the show’s longest-running cast member, Diags, 32, says he’s still close to the original Essex crew – especially best pal Joey Essex.
Joey, 33, left the show in 2013 after two years, but his on/off romance with Sam Faiers and his close friendships saw the “reem” Essex star catapult to fame and go on to appear in I’m A Celeb!, The Jump and Dancing On Ice.
But now Diags reveals he wants Joey – who last year blasted the show as “drama-less” and said he would pull in extra viewers – to return.
He laughs, “He’s still my best mate. We see each other every day pretty much and we’re on the phone to each other constantly. He’s like a brother to me, so if I was to have anyone back, it would be him.”
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LA DREAM
Diags has also maintained a close bond with TOWIE matriarch Chloe Sims, and Liam “Gatsby” Blackwell, who ditched the show last year to move to LA.
Now Diags admits he’s not in Chloe’s best books, but says he is proud of them for making a fresh start.
He says, “I was actually meant to meet up with her and I ended up going out and not meeting her. She wasn’t happy with me whatsoever, but we spoke on FaceTime.
“She’s gone back to LA now. I’m actually quite sad about it because I did want to catch up.
“Gatsby’s doing well selling houses, I think he’s got hi
