On 13 March 2016, ITVBe aired a one-off documentary hosted by former cast member Mark Wright, discussing the history of the series.

[11] It is worth noting however, that at the time of this statement a significant number of cast members were not from Essex as claimed, including Norcross himself.

[citation needed] In April 2011, it was reported that Big Brother 8 winner Brian Belo intended to sue the makers of The Only Way Is Essex, claiming they "stole his idea".

Belo was in the original pilot of the show – provisionally titled Totally Essex[12] – alongside current stars Mark Wright, Sam Faiers, Kirk Norcross and Amy Childs.

Belo planned to sue his former manager and Lime Pictures, which makes the show, for lost earnings of up to £100,000 a series.

In May 2012, it was reported that original cast member Lauren Goodger had fallen out with the show's director for her bad timekeeping on set and her diva demands.

On 1 December 2012, it was reported that The X Factor finalist Rylan Clark would appear on the TOWIE Live special episode and later return as a full-time cast member in 2013.

Mario Falcone reacted to the rumours by saying, "If he comes on Monday's live show, that's fine because it's all for charity, but if he comes on TOWIE as a main character, I'll leave.

"[14][15] Kirk Norcross commented, "I've met Rylan before and he's actually a really nice boy but when people think of Essex they just think of the abbreviation, the 'Shut-up', the 'Oh my god' – that was all Amy Childs and we don't want that.

[19][20] The show was initially filmed just a few days in advance and has been narrated by Denise van Outen since its inception.

[24] On 20 March 2020, it was announced that filming for the forthcoming twenty-sixth series had been postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television.

Despite filming for this series taking place during a national lockdown, some restaurants and pubs opened especially for the show.

They also assured axed cast members that they would be able to receive welfare support from ITV if needed and thanked them for appearing on the series.