Living Life the Essex Way Read Free

filming to be done to finish off the first episode, but we didn’t do anything for later episodes just yet, as they wanted to keep it as current as possible. So what
you see on TV each week has generally been filmed within the last week. Once they had enough material for the first episode, they invited the cast to the Maddox Club in London for the official
launch – and I cannot tell you how excited we were.
    We got there and there were posters of us all over the place, and all the top people from ITV. They were basically the big bosses who had decided the show would happen. There was also loads of
press there to meet us for the first time and watch the first episode, which was so scary, as what the media think of something can really influence the public.
    It was the first big event I had to go to in my role on the TV show, and it was so exciting. I remember I had my hair all blow-dried and was wearing a cream dress from ASOS that was short at the
front and long at the back. It took me ages to decide on my outfit, but I think I made the right call in the end. Back then I had to pay for my clothes, just like everyone else, and I still
can’t quite believe how lucky I am to get some of my outfits for free these days.
    Until then I’d always got the train to go into London, but this time they sent cars for us, which in itself made me feel amazing, and nearly like a celebrity. I remember I shared a car
with Amy and Kirk and, oh my God, it’s hard to describe how weird it was for us. We were all so nervous, but also giddy with excitement – we had no idea where this TV show was going to
take us, but we were up for giving it a go!
    When we got to the club, I remember we were all doing our best to be on perfect behaviour. We were so worried what the journalists would write about us and the show – we really wanted them
to put positive reviews in their newspapers and magazines.
    So we had a meet and greet with them in an upstairs room, where they asked us lots of questions. It was weird for us, and it can’t have been easy for them either, as at that point they
didn’t know anything about us, so the questions were very general, like what the best thing about Essex was and whether we were all single. I can remember Amy and Kirk being really flirty,
and she kept joking that she was going to marry him. That is the kind of silly thing that she would never say now because while it seems funny at the time, it can look quite different in print.
Nowadays we are all a lot more guarded about what we say to the media, but that day everyone just said whatever came into their heads.
    Then everyone else went downstairs to see a screening of the first episode. And do you know what? We weren’t allowed down there! We had to sit upstairs and wait. And, oh my God, we were
soooo nervous. We attempted to make conversation, but really we were just trying to listen out for any signs from downstairs. Luckily though, all we heard was laughter, and we kept telling each
other that was at least a good sign.
    The screening was an hour long, and it felt like a very long hour, I can tell you. But finally everyone came upstairs and were like, ‘Well done, we loved it, we can’t believe how
funny it was. It will be amazing.’
    It was such a relief to see their response, and quite motivating too. It was probably only at that point that everyone realised for the first time: ‘Hold on, this show we are getting
involved in might actually work and be quite big.’ I had no idea what to expect from the next few months, I just knew I was so happy to be involved, and I loved the idea of the new things
that it could bring.
    Sarah was great. She really took the show on as her project, and looked after the cast really well. She would come round to the house just for a gossip and a cup of tea and would stay for like
three hours. She would come to talk to me about coping with the media and the attention and to keep me up to date about what was