When The Only Way Is Essex first aired in 2010, the majority of the cast were fresh-faced and filler-free. Now, 37 seasons and 16 years later, the cast of the hit ITV show look incredibly different after undergoing extensive cosmetic surgery and tweakments. The likes of Chloe Sims, Yazmin Oukhellou, Joe Blackman, and Bobby Norris are among the stars who have admitted to having work done. From facelifts under the age of 40 to filler addictions and Turkey teeth, the cast of TOWIE have tried it all. Some stars continue to go under the knife even after experiencing botched surgery, so desperate are they to change their look.
Bobby Norris
Bobby Norris is the latest TOWIE star to unveil his dramatic new look after undergoing a facelift at the age of 39. He revealed his revamped face this week after travelling to Turkey to go under the knife earlier this year, following a decade of 'abusing fillers' and online trolling. The major surgeries Bobby had in March included a neck and face lift, and a lower blepharoplasty. These procedures involved lifting, tightening, and repositioning muscles and skin on his face, neck, and around his eyes to create a more youthful appearance.
Defending his decision, Bobby explained that 'abusing fillers' for ten years left his skin 'like a deflated balloon'. He told Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley: 'I'll be really honest, I've always documented everything, but I was really abusing fillers, and for a ten-year window. I was going every 12 weeks - some people don't go to the hairdressers that often. There was just nothing subtle about it and it's so important for people to realise, although fillers aren't permanent it's not a surgery, there's always a line you can cross. Skin is about elasticity and I'd stretched it, it's like filling up a balloon for ten years and then one day trying to pop the balloon, it's going to be stretched out and baggy. I was like a space hopper, so by the time I removed them all, there wasn't going to be a cream on the market that was going to get me there.'
He added: 'I'd had health problems last year, but the doctor was quite honest - I was having so many tests done, there's more of my blood in fridges around Essex than Mounjaro. The lovely doctor said, "We've got a specialist here... You could be dead in twelve hours" and in your head you think, and this sounds really crazy to say, "Well, I can't die, I'm going to Sheesh tonight". At my age you don't expect to hear that, and I thought, we all have these age things in our heads and I thought, why am I waiting for my 40s to correct something [I want to do]. I'm waiting for my 40s but tomorrow ain't guaranteed, and do what makes you feel better, and I was just always honest about it. I know I would get torn a new one on social media being in my 30s.'
Defending his decision to showcase the recovery process on social media, Bobby continued: 'There are a lot of people, and no tea, no shade, that aren't open about it. I just don't believe in lying to people who have followed me and watched me for 15 years because it's just not achievable through honey and oatmeal scrubs. We all know certain people who stand on a red carpet and go, "eight hours sleep, two litres of H20 and a honey and oatmeal scrub" and you think, "darling, don't lie to people". There's the influencer thing, they go up the David Lloyd, other gyms are available, and they will do three squats on the tripod and then they go on a five-day retreat and they come back trying to be a Kardashian. It's not fair to the people that follow them, like we had magazines when I was growing up, thankfully we didn't have social media, but I think you've just got to be really honest.'
Not shying away from the recovery process, Bobby admitted he had been in 'discomfort' for a period after the surgery and relied on 'pain relief'. Asked by show host Ben if he worries about having 'regrets' later, Bobby hit back: 'I had no option where I'd stretched [the skin]. When we went into lockdown [during coronavirus], ITV were playing a lot of old TOWIEs - and it's like looking through a photo album and it was a decade of my life, different nose, different teeth. Over the course of a few weeks, I could see what trolls had been saying for years, and you don't notice subtle things about yourself when you're changing them and it wasn't until I sat back in lockdown, then I started to get into my fitness. For me, I thought, I wanted to remove all my fillers but I had crossed a line so, I can't really regret having the face lift because this is almost corrective of the abuse I had given myself. It's never I'm following a fashion with my things, I'm almost correcting my stupidity of abusing fillers and, I think it's really important for people to know. Do whatever makes you happy if it's for you, but with fillers, you can cross a line.'
Asked by Cat whether he felt he'd now 'done enough' when it comes to surgery, Bobby refused to rule out going under the knife again. He added: 'I know the right answer to sit here and say, and I'm not going to lie to you, it's impossible for me to say and I know the reality is, I probably will. I can't lie and say I wouldn't have any more. I don't know, I think body dysmorphia is kind of a thing... it's never something that I just rush into.'
Yazmin Oukhellou
Yazmin Oukhellou has undergone rhinoplasty, chin liposuction, a Brazilian bum lift, two boob jobs, and a nose job over the years. The 31-year-old recently underwent a facelift at Serene Cosmetics in Istanbul and afterwards displayed her bruised and bandaged face on Instagram. Before the surgery, she admitted she was feeling 'nervous' but insisted that she was doing it purely for herself to 'feel better', while saying she will inevitably get trolled for sharing the details on social media. She documented getting ready at her hotel in the morning and being marked up in the preparation ward. Her next Instagram Story slide showed her recovering as her face was taped up at the sides.
Just two years ago, Yazmin went under the knife for a £4,150 rhinoplasty and a £1,750 chin liposuction procedure. In 2020, she secretly had a Brazilian bum lift and liposuction with a Turkish surgeon, despite promoting 'fitness' by owning a wellness retreat. Yazmin, who joined the cast of TOWIE in 2015, has previously spoken to her fans about going under the knife by having two boob jobs and a nose job. The surgery on her nose was said to have taken place to rectify a bump following an injury from childhood. She's also confessed to having fillers and Botox done over the years, but in 2018 she decided to have her lip enhancements removed, opting for a more 'natural look'.
Defending her surgery, she previously said: 'If you want to get surgery, have been thinking about it for a long time and like me I had no other option then people should feel comfortable to and feel they won't be judged. This is the reason I have decided to be so open about it and not lie like others have. It's my body and my choice and people need to stop judging other people's choices, shaming bodies and appearances and just get on doing you.' A Brazilian bum lift (BBL) is where fat from areas of the body where it's not wanted is injected into the buttocks. It has been described as the 'deadliest form of plastic surgery' and has caused death in one in 3,000 cases, a statistic reported in 2018.
Joe Blackman
Joe Blackman, who joined the show in 2023, is another co-star that has undergone cosmetic surgery. Last year, the reality star showed off his ground-down bloody stump teeth ahead of getting veneers in Turkey. Joe was seen having before pictures taken and revealed he had splashed out a massive £7,664 on the treatment. He then took a seat in the dentist chair and had his teeth ground down while his boyfriend Junaid Ahmed filmed during the procedure. However, after sharing the journey on social media, Joe was given a warning from TOWIE legend Lauren Goodger. She commented: 'You didn't need, I regret doing it! Like I regret all surgery! But they will look stunning whatever makes you happy!' Other fans agreed with Lauren, claiming he will 'regret it' and that there was 'nothing wrong with his teeth' before. They wrote: 'Should of just whitened them was lovely set before; You already have lovely teeth…it's so nice to see a bloke with normal teeth …not a clone of everyone else; Doing this to healthy teeth should be a criminal offence. No dentist with any ethics would do this (dental nurse of over 30 years); Omg now you can never go back and your natural teeth were so perfect; Why this is ridiculous turkey teeth are so 10 years ago and the quickest way to ruin your teeth you'll regret it; This should be illegal. There was nothing wrong with your teeth. Absolute sin; Your teeth were absolutely fine'. Joe brushed off the comments and said he is excited to see his new smile.
Lauren Goodger
Lauren Goodger rejoined the TOWIE cast in 2024, after finding fame on the show as one of the original cast members part of the 2010 line-up. Over the years, the star, 39, has been in and out of the series after she left the show in 2012 following her break-up from long-term partner Mark Wright, who is now married and expecting his first child with Michelle Keegan. Lauren returned for a brief appearance in 2016, however last year it was reported that she would be rejoining the show after deciding it was the right time for her to return to the spotlight.
The original cast member has always been candid about the many enhancements she has undergone, after previously admitting to a rhinoplasty in 2011 to fix her broken nose following an accident. She also underwent a breast augmentation surgery, transforming her 34D chest size to 34E in 2013. In 2023, Lauren also admitted she had had a Brazilian bum lift back in 2017, but wanted to get rid of it. The TV personality explained how she jetted off to Turkey for a BBL and described it as 'the worst experience' of her life. Lauren said she was desperate to have a 'natural bum' again but isn't sure how to go about getting it as 'there isn't a procedure that can reverse the BBL'. She added: 'I'm not sure how I'm going to do that yet. I'm not sure if there is a procedure that can reverse the BBL. I'm looking into potentially getting the fat sucked out, but I don't know if that's an option. I'm going to speak to lots of different surgeons and figure out my options.'
Meanwhile, the star is also no stranger to lip filler. In February 2023, she underwent the same 'butterfly effect' filler technique as Katie Price as she showed off her new pout. She explained at the time: 'I've just had the butterfly effect lip fillers by Lift Aesthetics, I've got the tape on at the minute so I'm talking really weird. I'm very swollen but literally a new technique, it's so amazing and I can't wait to see the results.' Last year, she also revealed she is finally planning her breast reduction after previously being too scared and anxious to go ahead with the surgery. Looking sensational in a plunging ivy green and white cross-body swimsuit, she confided in her followers on Instagram, confessing her anxiety has prevented her from undergoing surgeries and minor treatments. She wrote: 'I have suffered tremendous anxiety due to things I've been through which led me to being caffeine and alcohol free but also stopped me being able go abroad on holiday or have surgery or so minor treatments I've been so bad with anxiety... But today I've spoke to the amazing @simonsmithsurgeon as I want to take the step to get my implants removed in my boobs... I do not want them I just need to get this done and I'm terrified but I know it's also much healthier for me and I don't need them anymore. I can't wait for my natural boobs back xxxx'.
Sam and Billie Faiers
The Faiers sisters have always been defiant about their changing looks despite their incredible transformations from their TOWIE days. Speaking candidly on The Mummy Diaries in 2019, they both insisted that they have never had Botox despite their 'faces changing' since starring on the show. When discussing Botox, Billie revealed that her make-up artist had claimed some models have the treatment to lift their eyebrows. She insisted however that she didn't want it done, instead choosing facials, with Sam adding: 'We've never had Botox, we've always looked after our skin.' While later on, she continued: 'I feel like when you're a celebrity, people assume you have work done.' Sam went on to reveal that people speculate she's had her 'eyes done' and 'filler', but she insisted: 'I honestly have never ever had Botox.' Referencing her TOWIE days, she added: 'I first went on TV ten years ago... your face changes from being 18 to 28. No one looks the same!'
After leaving TOWIE in 2014, the pair went on to star in their own reality TV show The Mummy Diaries, which followed the pair through their respective marriages and motherhood. Sam left the show in 2021 after she explained she always intended to leave the show when her children started school. Continuing to film Billie and Greg: The Family Diaries, the star decided in November that it was time for the show to come to an end after a decade on the screens. Billie wrote: 'After almost 10 years of filming for The Mummy Diaries and @familydiariesofficial, we can officially announce our journey has come to an end. And what a journey it has been!! From giving birth, raising our children, the highs and lows of parenthood, tears and tantrums, celebrations, fun times, tough times, hen and stags dos, a house build and of course getting married. We are so grateful to have been able to capture all of these memories and share them with you all!'
Amy Childs
Amy Childs, 35, has had two boob jobs, Botox, lip fillers, liposuction, and veneers, completely transforming her look over the years. The reality star proudly boasted of her enhanced cleavage when she entered the show after undergoing plastic surgery at the tender age of 18. However, Amy, who now has four children - Polly, seven, Ritchie, five, and twins Billy and Amelia, two - has now ditched cosmetic surgery after admitting she looked 'like a freak'. She told The Sun in 2022: 'I have not had cosmetic surgery for a long time now, and, for me, being a mum you totally change the way you look at things. Back in the day on TOWIE you ended up getting obsessed with your looks, but now I am 32 this year and in a completely different mindset. I am really happy in me now. I haven't got the size 8 body that I used to have, however, I have two lovely children, and that's all I care about, so I am very happy in myself.'
In her teens, Amy boosted her bust by three sizes, going from an A-cup to a D-cup, before jumping to a 30EE for a second boob job at the age of 23. In May 2019, the mother-of-two underwent an eight-hour operation after experiencing pain in her chest following a rupture in her left implant, and a month later, doctors discovered a lump had formed in her breast tissue from leakage. The star, who spent a week in hospital during the ordeal, has since downsized her breast implants from an EE cup to a C cup.
Ferne McCann
In 2016, Ferne revealed she had a nose job, which she unveiled the results of during an appearance on This Morning after the operation. However, Ferne took a 360 on her lip filler last year after she had her injectables dissolved and expressed her regrets over the cosmetic procedure. Sharing a before and after of the procedure, Ferne wrote: 'I knew deep down they looked ridiculous. I had little lumps where the filler had migrated and the shape was all wrong!'
Ferne became a regular on TOWIE in 2013 before quitting three years later, and the reality star has been very open about her surgeries since leaving the show. In 2016, Ferne revealed she had a nose job, which she unveiled the results of during an appearance on This Morning after the operation. She broke down as she told hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford about the journey she has been on throughout her life, and why she decided to make the change. In a very open and honest account, Ferne revealed how a lifelong insecurity and bouts of online trolling led to her final decision. She said: 'I just wanted something subtle. I didn't want a big change. I was teased in school about my nose and I thought it was taking over my face. From the front, it looks similar to how it did before so there hasn't been much to get used to, but it is different from the side profile.' Beginning to get emotional, Ferne admitted: 'I seem so confident and loud, well I am loud, but on the inside, it really fazed me.' The reality star also revealed she has felt insecure since the age of 12, way before she stepped into the spotlight. 'The names started when I went to secondary school,' she said. 'Boys started calling me goose and it planted a seed. Later, Twitter trolls rubbed salt in the wound.'
However, Ferne took a 360 on her lip filler last year after she had her injectables dissolved and expressed her regrets over the cosmetic procedure. Sharing a video showcasing the finished results after having them dissolved, she began: 'Ok guys, now this is a big moment for me because I want to be open and honest with you and share a little about my lip transformation. I made that mistake where years ago I just wanted the big voluptuous lips but I just went to the wrong people I didn't do my research and I used to get so trolled about my lips.' She continued: 'And even though I have thick skin, being in the public eye for however long, it did get me down and I looked at them with different eyes. Especially having daughters, and wanting to be a role model for them and how I would feel if they had lips like that, I just had a whole different perspective.' She added: 'I knew deep down they looked ridiculous. I had little lumps where the filler had migrated and the shape was all wrong!'
Chloe Sims
Chloe Sims, 44, who rose to fame on the ITV2 show back in 2011, has always been open about undergoing various cosmetic procedures, with reports suggesting she has spent over £100,000 on her appearance transformation. The star admitted last month that when she first joined the show, she got 'offered every surgery in the world' as she reflected on undergoing her first surgery - a breast augmentation. Speaking with Paul Brunson on his We Need To Talk podcast, she said: 'The look back then was like all boobs and nothing else. Skinny. Boobs. Sort of how the glamour models looked. I really wanted to have a big chest, I was obsessed with that, and I thought that was going to change all my dreams. And then I did that, and when I went onto TOWIE, I got offered every surgery in the world.'
She continued: 'I could have had anything I wanted for free. So then I wanted to go even bigger, and as luck would have it, someone must've been looking down on me. They couldn't fit them in.' Chloe explained that she wanted her boobs to look 'big and fake', to which her surgeon told her they would try their best. However, when she woke up from the surgery, her surgeon said the breast implant size she had wanted wouldn't fit in her body. So, Chloe had to be given a smaller breast implant, one that would fit her body and wouldn't lead to any risks. Often, some surgeons will have no choice but to refuse overly large implants on people with smaller chests as they can run the risk of infection, skin stretching, and necrosis - the premature, unnatural death of cells and living tissue.
Elsewhere in the interview, Chloe confessed that she still has the same implants in, however, she has wanted to remove them for a while. She said: 'I just can't be bothered for major surgery for no reason. It's something that I would really love to take out, I don't want them anymore. It's not a good look, I do tend to hide them most of the time.' The TOWIE star has previously had breast implants and a Brazilian bum lift, and several years ago spoke about getting fillers removed from her face.
