Mark Wright 'takes action' over TOWIE return as Lauren Goodger's ex 'hates' being mentioned

Mark Wright, who gained fame through The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE), is reportedly trying to distance himself from the ITV show, despite it being a significant part of his rise to stardom.

The star, known for his appearance on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, was a part of the first three series of TOWIE before leaving in 2011 to participate in the jungle-based reality show.

Interestingly, Mark continues to feature in TOWIE scenes indirectly, due to his ex-fiancee Lauren Goodger's recent return to the show after a nine-year hiatus.

In a recent episode, Lauren discussed her infamous tattoo of Mark's name in an intimate area with fellow cast member Amy Childs, a conversation that allegedly didn't sit well with Mark, reports the Mirror.

An insider close to Mark, who tied the knot with Michelle Keegan in 2015, revealed that he is not pleased with his name being mentioned on the show, especially in relation to his past relationship with Lauren.

The source even suggests that Mark has reached out to TOWIE producers, requesting them to stop mentioning his name on the show.

"Mark doesn't want to be associated with Towie at all these days, and hates his name being brought up on the show - especially when it's to do with his relationship with Lauren," the source says.

"A member of his team contacted Towie producers to remind them that he doesn't want to be discussed or featured on the show, so could they not keep dragging up the past."

The source added that TOWIE bosses "were quite amused" by Mark's request since the reality series was a launching pad for his career "and a big part of that was his messy love life."

The insider also suggested Mark is annoyed with Amy for mentioning him in her chat with Lauren.

"He believes Amy knew what she was doing when she brought Mark up to Lauren in front of the cameras and he thinks she did it to wind him up," the source claims.

"He understands some former Towie stars want to go back on the show and rehash the past, but he'd rather it stay in the past."

The Mirror has reached out to Mark Wright for his take on the matter.

Mark and Lauren's rollercoaster romance was central to some of TOWIE's most memorable scenes.

They started dating in their teenage years, and the ups and downs of their affair were chronicled on screen during the initial three seasons of TOWIE, including the moment Mark proposed to Lauren.

However, their love story didn't have a happy ending and they eventually parted ways.

Mark then got hitched to his former Coronation Street star, Michelle in 2015.

Lauren moved on too, becoming a mum for the first time in July 2021, as she welcomed her little girl Larose.

A few months later, she announced another pregnancy.

Sadly, in June 2022, Lauren revealed that her second daughter passed away just hours after birth.

Recently, at the age of 37, Lauren made a TOWIE comeback and had a cosy catch-up with her old mate and beauty expert Amy Childs.

Strolling down memory lane, Amy mentioned: "I remember spray-tanning you and being like, 'Oh my god, she's got "Mark" on her noonie', referring to Lauren's ex-boyfriend Mark.

Amy couldn't resist asking, "Have you still got it? ", which prompted Lauren to quip: "No. It's gone. It had to go. How could I get with a new boy with that on my noon? ".

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