Lauren Goodger is heading back where it all began as she starts filming the latest series of The Only Way Is Essex
MITYA UNDERWOOD
EXCLUSIVE
As she prepares to make her hugely anticipated comeback on The Only Way Is Essex, Lauren Goodger tells new she’s loving “finding myself again”.
The 37-year-old reality star, who first appeared on the debut series of TOWIE in 2010, left her full-time role in 2015 but has recently returned to filming and is set to appear on screens any day now.
While there have been rumours of a comeback for years – and she’s appeared in the show a few times since – Lauren, who is mum to daughter Larose, exclusively tells new it’s never been the right time. Until now.
“I was going to go back two years ago but then I had Larose and then went through a terrible time with my second pregnancy and everything else, so it just wasn’t ever the right time,” she says. “If the producers had spoken to me a year ago, I wouldn’t have done it – but I feel ready now.”
Lauren has already filmed scenes at her Essex home and out and about with some of the other original TOWIE stars including Amy Childs, as well as new faces such as her friend Junaid Ahmed. She says even though her first day of filming well and truly popped the “mum bubble” she’s been living in since having Larose, two, she instantly knew she’d made the right decision.
“I wasn’t nervous because TOWIE’s sort of my home, but I’ve been in a mum bubble so the first day of filming was a complete shock,” she says. “It’s like driving a car though. You might not do it for 10 years, but then you get back in the driver’s seat and pick it straight back up. You don’t forget what you’re doing. And when I was in mum mode, nothing else mattered for such a long time, but now I’m finding myself again. I’m remembering who I was before I became a mum and that’s so important and healthy. All my friends have got jobs and work – most mums do – and I want Larose to see that I’ve got a job too.”
After filming more than 60 drama-filled episodes first time around, there’s not a lot Lauren hasn’t lived out on screen. She’s had meltdowns, heartache and break-ups, with millions of people around the country watching it happen. But, while there’s still plenty of drama going on in her life, Lauren tells us there’s one key difference when it comes to the wellbeing of the show’s young cast.
“We have w
