The Only Way Is Essex (2010– ) User Reviews (28)

Bad, I'll agree, but what more do you expect?

[Foux_du_Fafa · 2/10 · 5 January 2011]

Following the mould of MTV reality shows like "Jersey Shore" and "The Hills", "The Only Way is Essex" follows the supposed lives of a group of nouveau-riche twenty-somethings in Essex, adhering to the common stereotypes of the respective county - big yet tasteless houses, huge nightclubs and wild parties, tarty blondes coated in fake tan (with a token gay friend at their side), manly men who enjoy doing manly things, and of course, a no-nonsense grandmother who's fiercer than an RAF division. In a departure from a good number of British reality shows, the scenes are almost all evidently staged and cut, with a perfect level of soap-opera histrionics and bad acting thrown in for good measure. As such, the show comes across as a parade of cardboard cutouts devoid of any personality against a set of sterile backdrops.

It's little more than a piece of trash that makes everyone in Essex out to be superficial and stupid, but I have to question whether anyone thought it was going to be good in the first place. This type of programme hooks the viewer in its knowing awfulness; it's so appalling that it becomes morbidly engaging. To TV executives, this means good ratings and the chance to make money off a cheap franchise. Yes, it's depressing that shows such as "The Only Way is Essex" exist, but it's ultimately simply worth just ignoring.

Just end the show & rebrand.

[bluepink · 3/10 · 29 October 2020]

I've occasionally watched over the years & each season's getting worse. I've stopped watching now. Main issues are:

1. The Cast.

The longer serving cast members are repeatedly going through the same storylines & convo's e.g. Amber & Dan, Lockie & Yaz.

One of these types is apparently "over the drama" - in which case, they should be on a spin-off show so that people can specifically opt to watch their mellow conversations, and or they can stay but take a supporting role. Focus should turn to newer cast e.g. Ella, Joey, Chloe B & her mum etc.

2. There's barely any drama. If they need ideas, they should watch MIC on Channel 4.

3. Dull filming locations.

They mainly film in the same 4 places: park or garden / someone's house / the gym / a dark empty club.

If Essex as a location allows, they would benefit from finding a nice, brightly lit bar or restaurant - or somewhere glamorous / enticing.

No. No, no, no.

[jonathonjjr · 1/10 · 22 April 2012]

I literally do not know where to start.

The fact that this travesty of a "show"(?) is called "entertainment" makes my stomach turn. I certainly got no entertainment out of watching the pitifully inane lives of these imbeciles, it just got me so mad I wanted to destroy every TV in existence. The supposed hook of this series is that it is funny because these people are so stupid. No. This level of idiocy just makes me lose faith in humanity and the media. And any sentient being in the universe. There should be a 0/10 marking made, JUST for this show, because "awful" doesn't do The Only Way Is Essex justice. To be honest, I can't think of word to describe it. The most intelligent thing you will see on The Only Way Is Essex is the opening sequence. Beyond that, it is a wasteland.

Ironically, "The Only Way Is Up" is used as the theme song. Oh, the irony. Up is way north of where this show is headed.

In short, watching The Only Way Is Essex will: fill you with insatiable rage, make you want to purge the world of TV's to save the world from it, make you give up on life, then lower your IQ.

You have been warned.

Full of stupid narcissists

[DavidYZ · 1/10 · 24 April 2017]

This is a dreadful structured reality show about a large group of young adults who live in and around Brentwood, Essex.

The participants are a bunch of stupid narcissists who have a ridiculous lack of general knowledge. None of them are likable, interesting or entertaining.

When I contact people in other parts of the UK, a substantial number of them have asked me if I'm like the people in TOWIE. It's an anti-advert for Essex, worsening the county's already bad reputation.

More boring mindless idiocy shoved down our throats

[bigredphenom · 1/10 · 15 April 2014]

As a 23 year old, I guess the whole partying night in and out clubbing shtick is supposed to appeal to my demographic, but that's impossible when these lame (some well into their 30s) tools try desperately hard to act like wild college frats. If that isn't bad enough, this show is a snooze fest. I didn't laugh once, and you know you have gem when these grown adults drag through cheesy one liners that will cure insomnia. Congrats England, you have found yourself your own Jersey Shore.

If you can choke down mindless dribble, then this show is for you. If you enjoy a bunch of egotistical narcissists in a never ending game of try-to-be-witty, all of whom fail, then this is for you.

TV has hit an all time low

[joshuasalter-1 · 1/10 · 11 October 2010]

When I saw the adverts for the show I initially thought, wow. The UK has collected in on the money train of a half reality/half fiction show, such as The Hills or The City. I have never been a fan of these shows but when they said it was based around the the lives of the Essex young I thought, yeah this could really work. Everyone I have ever met from Essex has always been fun, full of energy, classy with an extraordinary personality. In my mind the concept could not go wrong and initially I thought this type of show will spawn the next generation of young stars in the UK that girls will want to dress like and boys will fantasise over. Boy was I wrong......

I understand that there is a certain amount of "making things up to create good tele" but at least with the Hills its sometimes believable. These girls and guys make Essex people look really dumb and shallow and I would be ashamed of myself if I was a native to the county. Yes of course there are elements in the characters that are true to real people but they are not defined by these ridiculous statements and poor decisions that these characters seem to live by?

As with any bad show, one can sometimes find the "tongue in cheek" value that is sometimes contrived, but I genuinely believe the producers are trying to buy into the fact that these things happen on a day to day basis and they want us to follow their lives with real interest. If you have not seen an episode yet, do so with an open mind but I am sure if you have an once of decency and respect in your bodies you will come to similar conclusions as I have.

This is not the sort of show I will be chatting about down the pub and that's what TV should be about. Please remove this terrible show from a valuable Sunday night slot and replace it with a show that doesn't make me angry about the world.

What a load of old RUBBISH

[duchessofessex · 1/10 · 17 October 2010]

well, as i live in Essex i thought i might give it a go, although i had my doubts before i had even seen it, and i wasn't wrong, i'm not sure where you got these people from but what an embarrassment to Essex, yeah, the types that are portrayed can be seen hanging around the likes of Sugar Hut etc but day to day Essex people are nowhere near as shallow as they are portrayed in this rubbish programme. The acting is completely wooden and false, do they have a script? it looks like they don't, the language is more "Thames Estuary" than Essex, and it makes out the girls to look like tarts. Where abouts in Essex are these people from? There are a lot of shots from the Brentwood area, but i don't know anyone from Brentwood that behave like them, does Pixie Lott sound like that? i think not, so disgusted were the Essex folk that the programme made the Essex Chronicle with an unfavourable report, so please just give it up.i for one will not be wasting any more of my time watching such complete drivel, even 1/10 is far too generous

The worst TV show ever aired!

[geezerdave · 1/10 · 5 June 2011]

Never thought I'd waste my time watching rubbish like this,but after having taken a look at "Jersey Shore" and seeing how bad it was I thought there could be nothing worse than that!I was wrong.A friend mentioned it can get worse and told me about this show.

The Only Way is Essex has got to be the most retarded TV series ever made and that is why you gotta take a look if only for five minutes and then never go back.I don't know why MTV waste their time,but I suppose if you can't be the best you might as well be the worst!Its obviously their angle in television.

There is one thing they got right?Everyones a moron!

sign of the times

[jumbles5525 · 1/10 · 29 October 2013]

I only recently watched this show and I found it very sad.I never usually view shows of this genre but being an Englishmen living abroad I tend to give anything British a chance.An earlier review states that the characters in the show were "a good bunch" and that negative comments on the show were likely due to the fact that the persons responsible for such comments were in fact envious of said characters and their lifestyles.I can not fathom how anyone feeling negatively towards the base personality of another would envy that person but maybe that's just because I think logically.The characters are far removed from being worthy of envy,they are narcissistic and intellectually redundant,I suppose that one could covet their apparent wealth but having money does not reflect having sense,It seems that the time taken to make this show and the subsequent time taken watching it has been nothing but a waste of history.It does not surprise me that the show gained some relative success,there are plenty of half-wits out there in this increasingly shallow society we suffer, and this excuse for entertainment is a sign of the times.

ITV 2's Only Way Is Essex is a joke

[ulrikahayes · 25 February 2018]

Educating Joe and Only Way Is Essex is literally the World's Worst nightmare. I mean seriously Tv Shows for adults in the evenings has made me wanna throw up or just throw then Tv remote at the screen. The producers were either Drunk or high to produced this. Go home guys you're worse DC films.

Reality TV bears out the reality.

[paradox-78767 · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

As a visitor to Essex on a few occasions - I have to say that I find the show a very accurate portrayal of the young people of that county.

They make leucotomies - aka 'frontal lobotomies' - seem like a fashion accessory. IQ on average - less than or equal to chronological age and make Neanderthals appear sophisticated.

I was profoundly traumatised and have never recovered.

Perhaps I should have a leucotomy so I can forget that awful place once and for all.

Teef like horses, asses and abs so filled with saline - if they burst, Essex would need the equivalent of the Ark to save the few remaining - who might, just might be human and offer hope to the rest of England.

Good.

[sophie_louise95 · 7/10 · 20 May 2013]

Its a great show, very dramatic and interesting, however what bothers me is how ALL the women rely on a male guidance in the form of a boyfriend to help them. They literally cannot be without a guy, Lauren Goodger is a prime example. This annoys me so much.I mean, whats wrong with women being independent and actually getting somewhere in life? All the show seems to be about at the minute is people getting together/engaged and then splitting up, the main suspects being Lucy and Mario. The women in the show just need to understand that they don't need to be reliant on anyone, its good to be independent!. Other than that its a great show!

just terrible

[kylax88 · 1/10 · 11 May 2012]

Thought id give this ago as i do like a reality show such as jersey shore jerseylicious the hills etc I'm from UK to so thought why not. I cant describe how annoying the people are they are incredibly stupid not in a funny way i mean as in dumbness I've never come across a species like this their vocabulary is terrible and seem to shorten words such as jealous, they say jel maybe they cant spell so thats why they shorten it who knows they make up silly phases such as vajazzle a tern mean decorating the ladies downstairs in diamonties (excuse me for my spelling now i think its rubbed off on me all this thickness/dumbness also i am typing on touchscreen phone so forgive me for any spelling mistakes) the cast seem attractive but they are so fake i actually know someone who for a birthday went to Essex and bumped into a cast member asked for her autograph as she actually enjoys the show to get a nasty response for spoiling her night out she was a fan only wanted a happy birthday autograph. They say the show is not script but to be honest all shows like this are scripted to an extent in brief fake tits fake people fake personalities fake show that sums it up right in my and a lot of peoples eyes

Fake EVERYTHING!

[elishahathaway · 1/10 · 27 October 2020]

This show contains to much fakery it's unbelievable! Fake relationship, scripting, tan, nails, lips and more. I literally can't believe this show is still going today in 2020, were all "reality" shows like this are pretty much dead. I can't wait till this show has ended!!!!!!!!

The only way is FAKE

[roxmewild · 1/10 · 2 September 2020]

Fake Tan Fake nails Fake eyelashes Fake hair Fake breasts Fake lips Fake scripts wrap it all up with a sad bunch of mentally challenged self obsessed group of Essex trolls whose life same as made in Chelsea revolves around who is sleeping with who and you have another pathetic show

Yet another wannabe rich and famous with zero talent Gemma Collins being the epitamy of the Essex gal that got fame and fortune from zero talent thanks to the reality crap machine.

What on earth is this rubbish

[jamesgreen-80291 · 1/10 · 2 June 2019]

Why on earth people watch this rubbish is beyond me.

It's so bad.

Not a programme for me

[Just-Being-Me · 1/10 · 5 March 2014]

I don't want this review to offend anyone as everyone has their own preferences but i am not surprised one bit that it has only got a rating of 3.2 overall, in fact yes i am surprised it even got that. I personally don't like the show and don't get why it is taking up space on TV. I am also glad to see that i am not the only one that thinks this show is a total waste.

I don't get why people would be interested in this programme. I think the programme itself makes the people of Essex look dumb (i am not saying they are dumb, that is just how the show makes them look), the things they say and do just make you want to bang your head against a brick wall. Everyone looks like an orange on the show and every single one of them is made to look/act like they think they are the most beautiful thing the world has ever seen, obviously not looked in the mirror lately. I personally only thought one of the people on the show was OK and that was the curvy one (Gemma or something i think).

Everything they argue about isn't worth arguing about, every single woman on the show talk behind each others back, not one of them is a loyal friend, not one of them can seem to stay with their boyfriend / girlfriend.

I thought the shows on TV where already bad but then i watched this and i didn't get it at all. I'd much prefer to watch a blank screen. I mean OK if someone told me "hey, we will pay you if you stand in front of a camera doing nothing, just argue, look orange and act dumb" then yeah i would do it, who wouldn't, it be the easiest job ever so i do understand why they do it, i just don't understand how it got on the channel it is on etc.

Some people will love this show and OK to them, there is nothing wrong with you liking it, everyone has different preferences, the show just personally isn't for me and i wouldn't recommend it.

1 out of 10 from me and that is only because i can't vote less.

ITV's answer to Jersey Shore, and it's just as bad at that show.

[LTPHarry · 1/10 · 11 January 2020]

In 2009, MTV started airing Jersey Shore, a reality show about a bunch of unlikable junkies who yell, kiss and swear at each other. It was a smash hit even though a lot of people hated it, and it came to be that other channels were willing to milk the same success as this show.

Take ITV, who have made good and bad shows. They then made this show, which is basically got the same exact idea as Jersey Shore, you take a bunch of dopes and put them in Essex. Like with most Reality Shows of this genre, almost nothing is real and is all acted out which to me, put out why they even call these "reality shows" when almost nothing is real.

The characters are your usual "good-looking, unlikeable chicks" and they for some reason have strange characteristics as well. In fact from what i've seen, many of the cast members act like their characteristics are real, even when they leave the series. Joey Essex, one of the most well known cast members on the series (alongside Chloe Sims and Gemma Collins) still acts in his "braindead and stupid" persona that he had on the show to this day for some reason, why?

Lastly, this show gives a bad reputation to Essex alone, much like how Jersey Shore gives Jersey a bad reputation. You can ask actual people who live in the county and they'll likely say something on what I said.

Anyways, this show sucks. Nothing else to say.

Absolute dross.

[acunnington-49732 · 1/10 · 2 September 2020]

In what way, shape or form is this entertainment? Sheer inane, dross.

Shallow

[paulatepc66 · 1/10 · 10 September 2021]

One of the worse programs on TV.. Watched it once...that was it. Certainly not representative of any people in Essex that I know.

Not to worry...

[etshannon · 5 July 2013]

Essex people have no fear. We, in America, generally have enough sense to know what is and isn't real. Hopefully, you do as well, ie: I have never in my life met anyone like the people portrayed on the Jerry Springer Show. Just saying... I do find this show entertaining, though, because you get those jaw-dropping moments when you could not be more utterly flabbergasted at comments like, "I think the queen lives in Buckingham, doesn't she? :-0 I'm not evening British, and I know that Buckingham is the name of her Palace in London, not a region. (Although I admittedly lived in London for 3.5 years, and was there when Diana died/was killed...) "The Only Way Is Essex" is like the twin-sister of one of our reality shows called, "Real Housewives of Orange County"; same plastification, same lack of "edumacation", and same mundane existences = oh so entertaining as background noise while I'm working on my online business.

Ta and cheerio...

Obsessed!!

[laurensarge · 8/10 · 24 March 2014]

More stars for TOWIE! Love this show! Can't stop watching! Love the accents and the slang and the level of class the show keeps consistent, they never show characters that are wasted or slobs or truly despicable like the reality shows on this shore. While I enjoy watching the maniacal narcissism of RHOWherever and The Kards, TOWIE's personalities are a welcome break and seem to have higher morals. I realize that isn't a great feat however. It's just charming and overtly fake instead of trying to pretend it's not. I'm tired of all the reviews of my favorite "reality" shows getting low marks because they fun to watch! I can't stand scripted dramas or corny saccharin sit coms. The writing sucks. People just don't act like that and say clever things all the time it's not believable. It just feels more natural to hear people speaking candidly...And maybe it's the accents but they sound way more intelligent than us hicks in America when they use words like "brilliant" and "smashing" and "bollocks" and "minge" :)

Unintentionally amazing.

[burfordthehalfabee · 5/10 · 21 April 2011]

I'm here to defend this programme. I consider myself to be a somewhat intellectual and thus by all reasoning should detest this programme. But I still watch it every week and every week it makes me laugh. I never try and feel for the characters or become particularly involved in their story lines, but it's a great programme for 'people watching'. If you take into account the fact that they all must have some idea of what they're doing and they are definitely aware the cameras are there, you notice that all of them react in different ways. And despite that, it's also good if you enjoy watching fairly stupid people do and say fairly stupid things. If you are looking for an award winning fly on the wall documentary then i advise you to... well, just give up and definitely don't watch this. If you're looking for something light hearted which has the potential to pull in a lot of viewers depending on how you watch it, then TOWIE is for you.

Bullying

[wendyhall-07761 · 1/10 · 24 February 2022]

Always been a fan of The Only Way Is Essex.

Yet watching recently on itv I've noticed alot of Nasty speaking from the cast and public ! From weight and looks! Very surprised this has not been addressed considering moat of the cast condem this !!!!!

Returning viewer and hugely shocked.

[chris_rowe-881-168820 · 1/10 · 6 September 2023]

I remember watching this when it first came out, was almost must see, it had people that were extreme in many ways but always felt like people still, in 2023 it's full circle, no longer on a channel with any importance and a cast that feels like bullying.

This show is now either horrifically written and acted by awful actors or it has hired the most genuinely stupid and emotionally stunted people in the world, there's girls furious about a guy cheating, takes him back with ease. Endless conversations that make no sense, people acting pathetically, I mean Harry is nearly 30? Embarrassing.

Some of the stuff does nothing for women, the friendships, portrayal and presentation, just narcissistic weirdos with too much make up!

How are Chloe and Courtney in this? They added nothing when I saw it, even worse now. But just focusing on 2 out of the 100 imbecilic moments.

There's diags who's about the most normal these, class clown but nice guy, he meets a girl he's really into, she makes T-shirts with their faces in hearts, proclaimed about love, marriage and a future, then literally bins him off for no reason. Then complains and can't even remotely articulate what she wants, it's embarrassing. Almost offensive.

Then there's Junaid, a Ken doll in a microwave, honestly terrifying to look at, every conversation and scene is fake. He is beyond odd.

Cancel this.