The Only Way Is Essex brought her fame – followed by vicious bullying and ridicule. Then she had to cope with a stillbirth. She discusses the difficulties of life in the tabloid glare
I walk past Lauren Goodger’s house twice trying to get my bearings before I spot it: a gleaming Range Rover, with a personalised licence plate. It’s the only trace of reality TV stardom on the Romford cul-de-sac where Goodger, 37, lives with her three-year-old daughter, Larose.
When the door swings open to reveal a woman in tiny black shorts and a matching tank top I ask, reflexively: “Are you Lauren?” and instantly feel foolish. It’s a ridiculous question. Goodger is one of the most-photographed celebrities in the UK today, a staple of tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines since The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) first appeared on our screens in 2010, and in so doing, created the enormously influential genre of structured reality TV.
