The Only Way Is Essex

If you want reality entertainment that actually understands its own format, The Only Way Is Essex is available in Australia on Hayu, and in the US on Philo right now. 36 seasons in, and the quality has not slipped. Its 4/10 TMDB score, built from 24 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. The production never lets the format go stale. Available now on Hayu — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

The Only Way Is Essex is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The Only Way Is Essex has the format that countless others have tried to copy since. Part soap opera, part reality show, TOWIE follows the lives, loves and scandals of a group of real-life Essex guys and girls. Cameras capture the happenings at all kinds of glamorous locations as the cast meet up in nail bars, nightclubs and salons. Each episode features action filmed just a few days previously. The casting of Denise Van Outen is sharper than the genre usually manages. The series ran for 36 seasons (2010–2026), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. The Only Way Is Essex understands the difference between manufactured drama and the real thing, and leans on the latter. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Reality sceptics are warned — The Only Way Is Essex has converted more than a few doubters. Keeping Up with the Kardashians is the obvious comparison, but The Only Way Is Essex earns its own place alongside it. 36 seasons in, there is no shortage of material once you get started. Denise Van Outen is a big part of why it works, but the format itself is the real star. The kind of thing that generates strong opinions in every room it is watched in.

The Only Way Is Essex is currently airing new episodes, created by Ruth Wrigley and Tony Wood — so there's no better time to catch up before the story moves forward. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.