It’s the TV comeback we’ve all been waiting for – Lauren Goodger back on the screens of TOWIE.
And after speculation about her making a return to the show reached fever pitch last week, OK! has been told that the rumours appear to be true!
A source close to the reality star – who made her on-screen debut in the first series a whopping 13 years ago – said Lauren, 37, “feels like it’s the right time to make a return”, adding, “She would consider going back this time.
“It would be a bit of a shock for viewers, but she’s getting a lot of love at the moment. It would be so exciting to see her on the show as she is now – as a single mum back out in the dating world.”
Clips from Lauren’s time on TOWIE have been doing the rounds on social media in recent weeks, with resurfaced videos from her relationship with ex-fiancé Mark Wright gaining mass attention on TikTok.
“This was when TOWIE was good,” one fan commented on a clip showing baby-faced Lauren awkwardly bump into her ex’s mum Carol Wright at the supermarket.
Another wrote on the clip, “They don’t make TV this like these days.”
The nostalgic videos have left a number of fans desperate for Lauren’s return.
She said goodbye to the show in 2012, with many speculating she left the show following fallouts with some of her castmates.
Another viral video attracted huge sympathy for Lauren. The clip shows Mark telling mum Carol and sister Jess Wright of his plans to propose to Lauren, after which they’re seen laughing at the idea.
“Poor Lauren, she had a lucky escape,” one fan wrote. Another added, “I actually don’t know what Lauren ever did for them all to be so nasty to her.”
The past few years have been tough for Lauren. In July 2022, she tragically lost her baby daughter Lorena due to labour complications, just days after her former partner Jake McLean died in a car crash. Weeks later, her ex Charles Drury was charged with assaulting her.
Lauren is said to be feeling overwhelmed by the new wave of support for her online.
“The public reception has been really positive towards her,” our source explained. “She loved being a part of the show and she feels a massive sense of nostalgia about it.
“Even though it was some of the most difficult times, she had some of the best times and has happy memories from it.”
Lauren – who has a two-year-old daughter Larose – endured a famously rocky relationship with the Wright family during her time on TOWIE, having dated Mark for a decade.
They were engaged for five months before splitting in 2012.
After their very public break-up, Lauren became embroiled in several dramatic spats with his numerous new love interests, including Lucy Mecklenburgh and Sam Faiers.
She then left the show, claiming she’d made the decision after facing intense scrutiny over her weight, telling a newspaper at the time she was under “so much pressure” and compared herself against the other “skinny” girls on the show.
“We all had different body shapes, and I’m not being horrible, but I don’t like boob jobs or even want to be really thin,” she later said. “I just want to keep my curves and be a little more toned.
“But next to the others, I’d be panicking over whether my arms looked fat or how big I’d look if I was sitting down.”
The majority of the original TOWIE cast have said their goodbyes and moved on to other projects – another reason why our source believes now is the perfect time for Lauren’s eagerly anticipated comeback.
She’s already struck up a great relationship with the current stars of the show.
“A lot of the original cast have parted ways, but she’s now friendly with a lot of the new cast,” the source told OK! .
“She has had meetings about returning over the years, but truthfully she felt she didn’t really have a place on the show, because a lot of her friends had also left.”
Lauren fuelled rumours of a grand return last week when she was papped enjoying a night out with current TOWIE cast member Junaid Ahmed.
Junaid, 28, shared a photo of the pair cosying up while out for drinks at Sheesh restaurant in Chigwell, captioning the post, “My girly @Laurengoodger”, alongside a heart emoji.
Lauren replied to the post with a heart emoji, while fans were quick to comment on the post, pleading with Junaid to get Lauren back among the cast.
One wrote, “Lauren back in TOWIE would be great,” while a second added, “My two actual TOWIE faves.”
Our source continued, “She knows newbies Junaid and Chloé Brockett really well now and Amy Childs and Harry Derbidge are back too – who she filmed with all those years ago. Amy’s a mum like Lauren and they still keep in contact.”
Source: Read Full Article