Living Life the Essex Way

by Sam Faiers

  Last year I went to Ibiza for the first time, and I’m not going to lie – I loved it. It was a class above Marbella in a way, and I can see it having a bit of a comeback. We had an apartment overlooking Bora Bora beach, and I loved waking up in the morning and seeing people still partying from the night before. It’s great because people still make an effort, but not too much. Looking good is not the only thing they are there for. Sometimes that side of things can get a bit much in Marbs, so Ibiza made a nice change.

  My next plan is to go to Vegas with some girls I went to school with. We have wanted to go for ages, but I am the youngest, so they have had to wait for me to turn 21 before we could plan the trip, because you can’t drink until you are 21 in the States. We have had a few meetings to plan it already, because we want to get it right. We want a big penthouse apartment in the middle of Vegas. How amazing will that be? I can’t wait until I’m in a casino out there, with a cocktail in my hand . . .

  I went to LA a while ago, for the TV quiz show Scream If You Know the Answer, and I loved it. No one knew who I was, but I was still treated like a celeb – the customer service there is amazing. I can see why a lot of people end up moving over there. Who knows? Maybe I will one day!

  The other place that is becoming more popular among the Essex crowd is Dubai. Marbella is for the posing and partying, and Dubai is for couples or those who want a more chilled-out holiday. It’s obviously further away, but it is hot all year round, and is shamelessly glamorous and luxurious, which is just what we like!

  I went there in 2011 for the first time, and loved it. I went with Jess Wright, and we stayed in the Grosvenor House hotel in the Marina area. We were there for the opening of our friend Mark Fuller’s Embassy club, and the whole night just summed up the city. The club has a gorgeous view over Dubai – it is on the 45th floor, higher than any club in the UK. And everything was that little bit more extravagant too – the food and drink, the glamour of the place, the effort people put into their outfits . . . it suited me perfectly! Billie has been out there a few times, and she loves it too. I hope to go back there regularly now.

  So these are the places that seem to have a closer link to Essex than most. It is almost like you can see little pockets of Essex around the planet.

  Essex is a totally unique, amazing place, and I wouldn’t be happy with anyone who disagrees with me about that! The people, the mentality, the fashion . . . Everything about Essex really gives the place its own identity that people all around the UK instantly recognise.

  The county really is like a little bubble within the UK. I know it sounds stupid, but when I leave Essex, I honestly expect everywhere else to be totally different, like I have gone to a different country or something. And actually, most of the time it is! When I do personal appearances and that around the country, I am always surprised by other areas. I can’t always explain it, but when I was in Glasgow, for example, I felt like I was on another planet, because it was so different from Essex!

  Actually, when I say Essex, what I mean is only a small part of it. That’s what all the TOWIE people mean when we talk about Essex. For us, the true Essex is only a small part of the county – Brentwood, Loughton, Buckhurst and Chigwell, and the smaller places nearby. They are the centre of the real Essex mentality – and, to be honest, I don’t think the other parts have quite the same thing going for them.

  Anyway, I’m not sure what has made Essex like it is, but I know people have a real loyalty to the area. A lot of families have lived here for generations, and wouldn’t think of moving anywhere else. So because of that, a lot of people know each other and have relatives living nearby. It’s great and definitely makes for a closeness and sense of community, but the downside of that is sometimes it can feel a bit too incestuous. Like if you date someone, chances are they have dated one of your friends, or they are friends with your ex, or your cousin, and so on. It also means it is pretty hard to keep any secrets! You can see that with my own love life. The minute Mark and I even started to talk about going on a date in series three, for example, it was only a matter of hours before people were reporting it back to Joey and stirring things up.

  On TOWIE some scenes are set up to get a reaction for entertainment reasons – like someone will be encouraged by the producers to go on a night out to a certain bar without knowing why, then they will find their ex is there with a new partner. Then of course it kicks off! So their reaction is real, but the actual scenario has been set up. The fact is though, because of the incestuous nature of the Essex community, that is not much different from how it really is. The chances are that if I went for a drink with a guy, someone he or I know would be there, and would tell other people they had seen us. Before you know it, everyone knows your business and has an opinion on whether you should get married or not!

  Family is really important in Essex – we are probably quite old-fashioned in that way, but families tend to be very close-knit. Everyone sticks together, and there doesn’t seem to be so much of a generation gap between parents and their kids that I see outside of Essex. For example, even as a teenager, I’d have thought nothing of going for dinner and drinks with my parents – it can be a good night out! But teenagers elsewhere seem to have the mentality that they wouldn’t be seen dead doing that. In Essex people are generally proud of their families.

  Look at the Wright family, for example. I love them. They all have such total love and respect for Nanny Pat, and she clearly does for them. She is great and has the best sense of humour and so many stories to tell – she really has ‘been there, done that’, and she is a proper credit to the family. And Carol would do anything for her kids – Mark and Jess, who are on the show, and also Natalya and Josh, who aren’t – and is so proud of them. Proud mums are brilliant – mine is the same! It is obvious the Wrights all love each other loads. For me, they really represent a true Essex family.

  Another true Essex sentiment is a real loyalty to the area. While people from Essex can criticise it, people from outside are not allowed to! There is nothing more annoying than people who have never been, going on about Essex stereotypes. It is definitely no one else’s place to pass judgement – especially when they are wrong! So yeah, Essex people are fiercely proud of their roots, and will always defend their county.

  When it comes to the ultimate Essex girl’s icon – that’s a tough one. It is easier to come up with the ultimate Essex guy’s hero, who I reckon would be Lord Sugar. He is this guy who started with nothing, and now look where he is – pretty inspirational! Although I have to say, he did annoy me when he slagged off TOWIE, calling it ‘atrocious’. I would have thought he would remember his own roots, and what it is like when you are starting out and trying to get a foot in the door. I was like ‘Wait a minute, where did you start out?’ I think that, business-wise, a lot of the cast are probably doing better than he was at our age anyway. I reckon I have earned more money in the last year than he did when he was my age. So I thought it was a shame that he had to go and slag us off when we were just aiming to be like him.

  As far as girls go, if I had to pick an icon, it would probably be Victoria Beckham. She is not quite the perfect idol, but she did start here from nothing, and now look what she has achieved. And let’s face it, most of us would be happy to be living her life, especially if you got David thrown in!

  One person who is definitely not an inspirational Essex girl is Jodie Marsh. Oh my God, she got us all such a bad name on that Essex Wives show. That was a bad year for Essex! But she doesn’t represent the county at all. There are girls like her all over the UK – sadly!

  Thinking about other areas of the UK, the place most similar to Essex I’d say is Liverpool. But it is like an exaggerated Essex, so the tans are deeper, the hair is bigger and the make-up is heavier. Even the partying is more extreme. So whereas we will go out at 8 or 9 p.m. and get home at 2 a.m., after going to one bar and one club, they go out at midnight, go to bar, after bar, after bar, and then several clubs, before getting home a
t 6 a.m. It is hardcore, and I don’t know how they do it! It is like being permanently on holiday.

  I feel quite relaxed with Scousers. Personality-wise, and in the loyalty they feel for where they are from, they are like us. The main difference I see is that they are more hyperactive. Sometimes it is too much, and I get a bit overwhelmed when I am there. Essex people are more laid-back. Scousers seem to put all their energy into partying and having fun, whereas an Essex girl wants to do well in life, so will be concentrating on work and how to improve herself.

  My favourite Liverpudlian girl is Gemma Merna. She is stunning, and knows how to have fun without going totally mental. We were introduced by my manager, Adam, as he looks after her as well, and we just clicked. We don’t see each other that often, but we text and tweet a lot, and if we are in the same town we will go out for dinner and drinks.

  The Scousers know how to put effort into their appearance too. They have a similar fashion sense to us, although obviously not as good! They seem to like similar things to us, but don’t pull them off quite as well, or with as much class. Their fashion is also not as up to date, so as we are growing out of something, they are starting to like it.

  And, oh my God, one thing I don’t get about Scousers is this thing of wearing your hair in rollers out on the town during the day. Apparently it is just so that their hair can set in time for a night out, but it has become like this weird fashion that no one outside Liverpool seems to understand. And actually, I don’t think the lads up there get it either, from what they have said to me!

  I have been photographed with my hair in rollers a few times, but that has just been on the way to filming. It has been me not having enough time to get ready at home and being practical – it definitely wasn’t a fashion statement! Apparently Coleen Rooney and Alex Curran were spotted doing it first, and now everyone is at it in the shopping centres. There are a lot of WAG wannabes in Liverpool. I guess they are a lot more like celebrities up there than they are down in Essex. Down here, if you go out with a footballer, you tend to keep it a bit on the down-low. I guess it’s because we are so close to London, and you see so many A-list stars there that it is not a big deal to see a footballer, whereas in Liverpool the footballers and WAGs are the biggest celebs.

  You see it on that show on E4, Desperate Scousewives. No one outside Liverpool had heard of one of the main girls, Amanda Harrington, and yet it seems she is famous in Liverpool. I’m asked about that show a lot, and while I don’t want to slag it off – it had some good bits to it – at the end of the day, we did it first, and they were just copying us. The original will always be the best. The fact that locals were not fans of it doesn’t reflect well either, and I’m not really surprised the series hasn’t been recommissioned. With us, it’s different, and you will find most people in Essex are fans and appreciate the way we are representing the area.

  The Top Ten Places to Visit in Marbella

  If you are heading over to the Essex home away from home, these are my favourite places that you should be sure to visit:

  1. Nikki Beach, Playa Don Carlos, Elviria. This beach club is world-famous for a reason. It is huge and exclusive, serves amazing food and hosts fantastic parties. Great for celeb-spotting too!

  2. The Ocean Club, Avenida de Lola Flores, Puerto Banus. Based around a pool, this is a more laid-back and sophisticated place to go. It is also where the infamous spray parties happen. See you there on the next bank holiday!

  3. Buddha Beach, Villa Marbella Urb, Puerto Banus. This is like everything you could possibly want rolled into one: a gorgeous pool, beach, restaurant and spa all in the same place. You could spend every day of your holiday here and be happy.

  4. Funky Buddha, Camino de la Cruz, Marbella. This glam club is a great place to party into the night. Wear your best outfit when you head here.

  5. TIBU Banus, Antonio Banderas Square, Puerto Banus. A sophisticated club full of beautiful people. Book a table and make the most of the waitress service.

  6. Pangea, Calle Muelle Benabola, Puerto Banus. A drink on the roof-top terrace here is a must, just to see the amazing views over the marina and out to sea.

  7. Olivia Valere, Istan Road, Marbella. This restaurant and club feels really exclusive in an old-fashioned Hollywood kind of way. Love it!

  8. Ristorante Regina, Nueva Andalucia. I love this place when I want a more relaxed night out. There is live music playing while you eat the fab Italian food. It is about five minutes out of town – but well worth the effort!

  9. Sisu Boutique Hotel, Nueva Andalucia, Puerto Banus. This hotel is definitely the place to be seen and has great pool parties during the day. Be warned, you won’t get much sleep though, so only stay there if you are up for non-stop partying! Coming down to breakfast to find people already drinking is not unusual.

  10. Plaza Beach, Puerto Banus. I go here pretty much every day when I’m in Marbs. You get some great food while chilling on the beach and listening to the tunes that are pumping out every day. Lively and central to the action, there is also a Park Plaza Hotel overlooking the beach that is great, although be prepared to pose if you stay there!

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  CHANGING TOWIE

  There is no question about how well TOWIE has done – we never dreamed when we started out that we would end up with an award-winning show that gets 1.8 million viewers, and looks set to stretch to many more series.

  Not just that, but it has become an actual brand in its own right – walking round the shops, I see TOWIE stuff everywhere: our Christmas cards in the newsagent, our DVDs in the video shop, our bronzer on the make-up counters . . . And that’s when I can actually get around the shops – I am normally too busy being stopped by people who want to talk! TOWIE has really nice fans, who are always so positive to me. I love chatting with people, whether they watch the show themselves or just want to get pictures for their daughters or whoever. I never expected it to be this successful – but I am so happy it is! It has been a totally incredible thing to have been part of, and I do still pinch myself sometimes to make sure it’s real.

  As for our BAFTA win . . . wow! We got the YouTube Audience Award at the ceremony in May 2011, and it was just amazing because we were up against these great shows, like Downton Abbey and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

  Amy and I were supposed to be in Marbella, but we changed our flight so we could go to the awards along with the rest of the main cast and the big bosses from Lime Pictures and ITV. We were sat at two tables, and there was such a good vibe. The red carpet was swarming with these amazing celebs – it was overwhelming. By the time it came to our nomination list being read out, we were all so nervous and were holding hands. All the cameras seemed to be on the My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding crew, which was a bad sign, but I said I had a feeling it was us.

  The Inbetweeners were doing the announcement on stage, and they said the result really quickly, so it took us a few seconds to realise it was us. Then we went mad, and were just jumping up and down and screaming. I was like ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe it!’

  Amy and I were flying to Marbella at 3 a.m. the next morning, so we couldn’t stay out and party as much as we wanted to, but we made up for it by going crazy when we got to Marbs!

  I sometimes wonder what makes the show so popular, and I think it is because it is so easy to relate to. Most people can relate to at least one of us, and everyone has gone through a lot of the things we go through on the show: relationship and friendship troubles, family issues, gossiping and arguing . . . It’s what life is made of. But as well as that, it is light-hearted and funny, and there is a spark that you get in people from Essex that can’t be copied. I’m not being funny, but have the copycat shows worked as well? No. Because they don’t have that spark that we do. I am really proud to be part of TOWIE. The only downside to the show doing so well is that as it has got bigger, so have the egos on it. The vibe used to be one of a group of friends having a laugh, who would hang out together whether the filming was happening or not. Now, at tim
es, people are more engrossed in doing interviews and emailing their agents, or are glaring at each other angrily because of something that was said on camera the week before. It was inevitable that would happen though, I suppose. One of the biggest egos is Arg. People are surprised by that, but Arg is not as sweet and innocent as he seems – he definitely plays up to his victim role! He is also the worst time-keeper – he’s really bad at turning up on time for filming, which gives everyone else the hump. Both Arg and Lauren Goodger were the worst offenders for this in series three, especially when we filmed the Christmas special, and the bosses were like, ‘We’re not putting up with this anymore. Anyone who can’t be on time from now on is off the show.’ Sounds strict, but I reckon it’s fair enough – it’s really selfish!

  The other big ego was, of course, Mark, but you probably guessed that! And somehow he got away with it. He has a very over-powering personality, and he always ends up getting what he wants. Everyone expected me to be really sad to see Mark leave at the end of series three, but I do think it was the right thing for him to do. We discussed it before he made the decision, and he knew it was a big move, but I think it was the right time for him, and he has a great career ahead of him. It’s not like I can’t see him either, is it? It just means the cameras won’t be there, so you lot won’t get to see what happens! I think Mark did great in the jungle. He showed people the soft, friendly, loving side of him, which a lot of people don’t know, and he did so well to come second. I’m not so sure about his presenting skills on Take Me Out: The Gossip, as he seems a bit stiff – he needs to relax more. But I reckon that will come with more experience. He did really well to get it anyhow, so I don’t want to knock him for it.