Essex is a county known for its luscious green belt and bustling towns; Charles Dickens once said that Chigwell, a small part of the county, was ‘the greatest place in the world’. Nowadays, however, Essex better known for Faces, fake tans and home of the BAFTA award winning show ‘The Only Way Is Essex’.
 

The show ‘The Only Way Is Essex’, informally known as TOWIE, is a television programme focusing on the lives of twenty year olds in and around Essex. This show has been a hit with the majority 18 – 24 year old as it concentrates on the modern day, young- adult’s lives. Many of the residents of Essex, however, have had mixed reactions to the effect that the show on the county, especially since there has been wide range of views towards the hit television show. 
 

Statistically, the programme has been a great boost to the economy as there has been a report that since the show has hit our television screens it has led to a £1.4 billion increase spending in the high street. This figure, surprisingly, is even higher than the £1 million pound increase in spending that was sparked by the Duchess of Cambridge herself, Catherine Middleton. There has significantly been an increase in beauty products sold, as the number of lashes bought has increased by 249% and the number of false nails sold has increased by 567%. This rise in spending is more commonly known as ‘The TOWIE effect’.
 

Although the spending, overall, is good for the economy, there are growing reports that ‘The TOWIE effect’ is causing more and more people finding themselves in debt due to their overspending. The television show portrays a lavish lifestyle but it never focuses on the money side which is the harsh reality of such a grand way of life. Ordinary people are in thousands of pounds of debt since they are spending around £500 pounds per month on clothes and nights out. The money, however, is not necessarily earned by the individual person, instead it comes from the parents who are working more than one job and are not earning enough money to maintain such an extravagant life.
 

The County is now more widely known for white stilettos and short dresses rather than the growing towns and the countryside that people should admire. Some of the older generation located in Essex, therefore, are disappointed of the stereotypical view that other people can have of Essex. Brenda May, a resident of Chigwell for over ten years, said, “In my day it was the sign that you had a good, steady life if you lived in a county in Essex. Now, all sorts come and go with their flashy cars. It is a disgrace sometimes.” Georgia Hayfield, a hairdresser, on the other hand has embraced the new media attention that the television has brought to the County as she said, “Essex was seen as quite a dull county but the programme has shown the U.K that Essex is full of life! It is also great me and my business as well since more girls want ‘The Essex Look’…”
 

Though there are some stereotypical downsides to the television show, TOWIE has definitely placed Essex on the map. The county now has a more youthful, vibrant image which is an added edge to a county where you can also raise a family or even retire to. The show has even created its own unique fashion style boosting our economy, as for two years Essex Fashion Week has been well publicised and sold out. ‘The Only Way is Essex’ has brought glamour back into everyday life, however, people should not try not to get caught up in ultimately a fake lifestyle for as Denise Van Outen says, “some of what they do has been set up purely for your entertainment.”