It's what the producers didn't want, The Only Way Is Essex cast becoming stars in their own right then bringing their celebrity life in to the show - they're meant to be normal people, don't you know?
But that's exactly what happened last night, when we saw Essex staple Sam Faiers being comforted on her sofa by "more than a friend" Mark Wright - we daren't call them a couple yet.
Anyone who's been keeping up with their TOWIE gossip this week will have seen Sam and her sister Billie were attacked by a gang of girls outside a nightclub, hence the black eyes on her usually unblemished face.
Sam was left so shaken by the attack, she's hiring body guards to keep her and sister safe. They didn't explain all this in the show, but we did see Lothario Mark take a step back from his 'man about town' image and give his new girl a great big hug.
See the top five moments from last night's TOWIE below:
1. Once upon a time, Mother Teresa comforted sick men. In Essex they have Gemma Collins. Arriving with a wicker basket of goodies, Gemma comes to the rescue of Greek twin Dino, who's laying unwell on the sofa - with his top off of course, because that's what men do when they're sick, right? Gemma unpacks her basket and proves that she knows what a Greek man needs, forget Lemsip, they like humus, tzatziki and pitta bread.
2. Joey Essex being a plank. It doesn't need much explaining. Joey lies on his front with his arms and legs elevated. While the camera gives us a gratuitous boob shot of his cousin Chloe Sims. She's not alarmed by his actions, but simply says: "Joey stop planking, you're meant to be helping with the design." She's decorating her living room and Joey's unrivalled style advice is in demand.
3. We're meant to believe Mario Falcone and Lucy Mecklenburgh are in love. But while they laid side by side on the sofa, talking about moving in together, all we could concentrate on was Mario's bicep brandishing a disastrous tattoo of what we deciphered as an upside down Virgin Mary.
4. Going round your new boyfriend-who-you-aren't-calling-your-boyfriend-yet's parents' house is always going to be awkward. Especially when he's just broken off an engagement to his girlfriend of 10 years, and everyone knows you used to have dalliances with him while they were on and off. When you've got cameras filming the whole scenario it must be hard to manage a single pea.
Girls around the country congratulated Sam on her effort last night. Not only did she seem calm, she remembered to congratulate Mark's mum on her "lovely shepherd's pie", to which Carol replied: "It's so nice to have you over and to sit here, all of us, and cook a dinner for you." Lauren must be seething.
5. Oh yes, she was. The meal didn't go under her ex-radar, as obviously Lauren was going to bump into Mark's mum in the supermarket before the cosy 'family' meal. This isn't called a 'scripted reality' show for nothing. Lauren asked the question everyone asks when they see their ex-boyfriends mum in the supermarket: "What you buying then?" To which Carol replied: "Sam's coming over for dinner, I'm making her favourite, shepherd's pie." Duh-duh-durrr.
SLIDESHOW: See the TOWIE stars at their best...
