'The Only Way Is Essex': Lauren Pope Is Back For 'TOWIE' Series Finale

The news comes just weeks after Lauren admitted she suffered "constant anxiety" on the show.

Another former star of ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ is returning to the show, with Lauren Pope surprising viewers with the news she’ll be appearing in the series finale on Sunday (30 April).

Lauren has been away from ‘TOWIE’ for the past few years and focussing on her business, but is gearing up for the last episode of the current series.

And while she’s refused to rule out a permanent return later in the year, she’s said she’s looking forward to being back, particularly as so many of the people she clashed with first time around are now gone.

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Lauren 'I Woke Up Like This' Pope
ITV/Rex/Shutterstock

She said: “The people that I had the drama with last time round aren’t there now so hopefully I’ll find it more enjoyable which is why I’m more excited to go back.

“It’s a fresh, clean slate and that old drama won’t be dragged up again.”

Lauren has admitted to finding current ‘TOWIE’ star Dan Edgar “stunningly beautiful”, even disclosing that they’d once had a “little fling”, adding: “It fizzled out when I moved away from Essex.

“We left it on really good terms. He’s nice and chilled out.”

Some may be surprised to see Lauren back on the show, as she recently spoke about the anxiety she suffered as a result of being on the show, in an interview with HuffPost UK on ‘BUILD’.

She said: “I do not miss the constant feeling of anxiety and stress when you have got a big storyline.

“It’s a catch-22 because if you have got a storyline it means you have got airtime which means that away from the show you get more exposure, which is great for your business.

“But it also means that you are going into filming every day feeling that you are on edge all the time.”

“You’re thinking, ‘oh my God what is happening next’ – to the producers it’s just a storyline because it’s a show but it is your life they’re dealing with.”

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Lauren Pope on 'BUILD'
Tabatha Fireman via Getty Images

The current series has seen former ‘Love Island’ stars Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde have both filming scenes in ‘TOWIE’, following their split earlier this month.

Reports recently suggested that producers were hoping to sign up Cara on a permanent basis for the 21st series, which will kick off later this year.

Meanwhile, Lauren P isn’t the only former cast member to return to the show in recent months, with Lauren Goodger, Charlie King and Mario Falcone among those back on ‘TOWIE’ in the past two series.

'TOWIE' Stars: Where Are They Now?
Sam Faiers(01 of14)
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Sam left 'TOWIE' earlier in 2014, following her diagnosis with Crohn's disease. She's since reunited with her former fiancé Joey Essex, and still runs Minnies Boutique in Essex, with her sister, Billie. (credit:Mark Robert Milan via Getty Images)
Mark Wright(02 of14)
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Since leaving 'The Only Way Is Essex', Mark has put aside his womanising ways and is now happily engaged to former 'Coronation Street' actress Michelle Keegan.He's currently taking part in the most recent series of 'Strictly Come Dancing', the first 'TOWIE' cast member to ever take part in the show. (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)
Amy Childs(03 of14)
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Her catchphrases helped make 'TOWIE' such a success, but Amy decided to move onto pastures new in 2011. Since then she's posed for Vogue, made a splash with Jedward in the 'Celebrity Big Brother' house and earned over £2 million in endorsement deals.Mind you, we still remember her best for giving Sam Faiers a vajazzle in the first episode of 'TOWIE' back in 2010. (credit:Anthony Harvey via Getty Images)
Joey Essex(04 of14)
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Off the back of his successful appearance on 'I'm A Celeb' - where he famously revealed he couldn't tell the time, amid flirting with Amy Willerton - Joey bagged his own successful reality series, 'Educating Joey Essex' which is brought him all over the world.He's also still dating his fellow former 'TOWIE' cast member, Sam Faiers, who he reconciled with earlier in 2014. (credit:Iconic via Getty Images)
Lucy Mecklenburgh(05 of14)
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After walking out on her on-off boyfriend Mario Falcone for the last time and saying goodbye to 'TOWIE', Lucy has come the face of 'Results With Lucy' a fitness programme, while also taking part in the BBC gymnastics series, 'Tumble'. (credit:Mark Robert Milan via Getty Images)
Kirk Norcross(06 of14)
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Since leaving 'TOWIE', one of the show's hottest ever hunks became embroiled in a two-week relationship with former-glamour-model-turned-bodybuilder Jodie Marsh. Their brief fling ended when she reportedly refused to have sex with him.Since then, explicit images of Kirk from a Skype chat have been posted online, which he has since apologised to the more faint-hearted among his fans. (credit:Dave Hogan via Getty Images)
Lauren Goodger(07 of14)
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Whether she's slagging off her ex - Mark Wright - on Twitter, suffering a nip-slip in the 'CBB' pool or trying her hand at ice-skating in 'Dancing On Ice', notoriously publicity-shy Lauren "The Goodge" Goodger has rarely been out of the media since leaving 'TOWIE'.Earlier this year, she revealed her heartache after a six-second clip of her performing a sex act on her ex-boyfriend was circulated on mobile devices. (credit:Mark Robert Milan via Getty Images)
Harry Derbridge(08 of14)
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After a long absence, Harry returned to 'TOWIE' in 2014, where his rocky relationship with Bobby Norris had us all talking, in particular about their unusual choice of swimwear.When they split up, it was announced that Harry wouldn't be returning for 'The Only Way Is Ibiza', as he wasn't involved in any of the show's key storylines anymore. Ouch. (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Charlie King(09 of14)
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Charlie appears to divide his post-'TOWIE' time between going to the gym and taking his top off to take pictures of the effect this aforementioned gym time is having.Long may it continue, we say. (credit:Instagram.com/charlieking85)
Frankie Essex(10 of14)
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Frankie's older sister quit 'TOWIE' in the summer, claiming the show was beginning to take over her life. Since then, she's had a difficult time of it, after being attacked by a group of girls in a night-club toilet while on a night out with Chloe Sims and Elliot Wright. (credit:Julian Parker via Getty Images)
Tom Kilbey(11 of14)
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Tom and Lydia Bright sadly split up not long after it was announced that they'd be leaving 'The Only Way Is Essex' to focus on their relationship. While Lydia has since returned to the show - and to her ex, James "Arg" Argent - former footballer Tom was recently spotted out and about with Lindsay Lohan at - you guessed it! - the Chiltern Firehouse. (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Danni Park-Dempsey(12 of14)
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Danni took to her Twitter late last year to reveal she was "taking a break" from 'TOWIE' so she could focus on a "business venture".She gave birth to a daughter earlier this year, becoming the third member of the docuseries' cast to become a parent, after Dan Osborne and Billie Faiers. (credit:Twitter/Danni Park-Dempsey)
Mick Nocross(13 of14)
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Mick quit 'TOWIE' because he feared the arguments that regularly took place at Sugar Hut - the nightclub that he owns - were putting people off going to his venue.He recently announced plans to branch out into the hotel business, revealing he's in the process of opening a luxury hotel in Essex. (credit:Mark Robert Milan via Getty Images)
Maria Fowler(14 of14)
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Listen carefully. Shhhhhh. Do you hear that?That, friends, is the sound of Maria Fowler Googling herself.Although she was famously branded an "extra" by Kirk during a heated row, Maria is rarely far from the headlines, thanks to her penchant for turning up to the opening of an envelope, and her rows with fellow Z-listers, including 'X Factor' singer Katie Waissel, 'Geordie Shore' star Vicky Pattison and Marcus Collins. (credit:Mark Robert Milan via Getty Images)