Nine TOWIE stars removed from flight for refusing to wear masks

Nine stars of The Only Way Is Essex have been removed from a flight for refusing to comply with mask regulations.

New cast member Pia Smith confirmed on social media that she and other members of the TOWIE cast were stranded at Madrid airport in Spain after being removed from a plane arriving from the Dominican Republic where they had been filming the new series of the ITVbe reality show.

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Smith said in a video shared on her Instagram stories: "We got chucked off the flight because we didn't wear masks, it was like half the cast that got chucked off.

"We've had to sit here in Madrid airport for 10 hours."

As a result of being removed from the flight by the Spanish Civil Guard the reality stars missed their connecting flight to London.

They now face fines for their behaviour.

James 'Diags' Bennewith confirmed he was one of the reality stars to be "thrown off the flight in Madrid for no reason", along with Dan Edgar and Jordan Brook.

Mia Smith was also among the TOWIE cast members left stranded in Spain for 10 hours waiting for a connecting flight to London, confirming she had joined Smith in a consolation meal at McDonalds.

Spain's Civil Guard confirmed to The Sun newspaper: “The captain of the police requested our presence on board a plane at Madrid’s Barajas Airport which had touched down from the Dominican Republic to deal with people we were told were causing a public order disturbance.

“Civil Guard officers found these people a little upset when they reached the aircraft.

“On the indications of the captain and to avoid any more problems nine people, consisting of four men and five women who are all British nationals, were removed from the plane and after the corresponding complaint from the captain they are now set to face a fine.

“While officers were carrying out the process of identifying all the people that were removed from the plane so they can be notified of the amount of the fines at a future date, they’ve ended up missing their onward flight.

“Police are accompanying them to another flight bound for the UK so they can leave Madrid tonight.

“No arrests were made and after being accompanied off the earlier flight, the nine people removed were very cooperative.”

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Flight passengers are currently required to wear face coverings as part of measures to limit the spread of coronavirus following the global pandemic.

The 29th series of TOWIE is due to air later this year.

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