Inside James Argent's chaotic romances and tragic personal battles as holiday row with beauty queen lover ends in arrest
AS A fresh faced Essex boy, James 'Arg' Argent burst onto the scene as one of the original cast of Towie 15 years ago.
However, over the years his life has taken some twists and turns and
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James 'Arg' Argent has enjoyed a turbulent life in the spotlight since his rise to fame
Credit: Rex
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James joined Towie in 2010 as Mark Wright's joker friend 'Arg'
Credit: Rex
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Arg enjoyed a party lifestyle during his early days of Towie - seen here in 2011
Credit: Louis Wood - The Sun
OG Towie fans will well remember the very first time
The best mates found instant fame on the ITV reality show, and reaped the rewards of being a young star on the telly.
While Mark settled down and made a name for himself as a presenter and businessman, Arg continued to intertrain the viewers on Towie.
As his popularity soared, the
money
came rolling and the invites to parties grew.
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Read More on James Argent
DRUG ADDICTION
Arg has been very
The reality star revealed he first knew he had a problem in 2014 and had stints in rehab before finally getting clean in 2020.
He previously opened up about his past demons, and told The Sun how
Recalling his first terrifying incident, he told us: "I locked myself in my house and took
drugs
for three days straight on my own in the pitch black.
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'I was at rock bottom. My heart was beating out of my chest, my nose was bleeding, I was shaking and my breathing was terrible.
"My family were banging on the door screaming, 'Open up' but I wasn't answering the door to anyone.
Watch the moment Arg returns to Towie for first time in six years - and boasts about dating stunning Miss Sweden girlfriend
"They feared I'd overdosed and was dead in the house."
WEIGHT BATTLE
Over the years,
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He admitted to piling on the pounds in lockdown after kicking his cocaine addiction.
However, the wake up call came when doctors warned him he was 'on death row."
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Arg opened up about his past issues with drugs to The Sun
Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspaper Ltd
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At his heaviest James' weight went up to 27 stone
Credit: Instagram
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It took his mum Patricia breaking down in tears in his bedroom for him to finally seek help.
Arg told ITV's Lorraine: 'I reached the heaviest I've ever been in the height of the pandemic and doctors said I was dicing with death because I've got bad
asthma
and was morbidly obese, which was the worst possible combination if I was to catch Covid.
'I could have been a goner, so I just knew I had to do something.'
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James lost half his body weight thanks to a gastric band
Credit: Instagram
GC ROMANCE
Arg and Gemma Collins seemed like a match made in reality star heaven.
Their romance played out both on and off screen, and at times they seemed very happy.
Fans enjoyed watching them them together on Towie, and they dated for three years until 2020.
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During this time, the pair had a very on/off romance,
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Former reality TV couple James and Gemma Collins had a very on/off romance
Credit: Getty - Contributor
Speaking on Piers Morgan's Life Stories in 2021, a tearful GC said: "For anyone who ever thinks about taking drugs, or just trying it for one night, you can end up getting addicted.
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"I was really happy with James. We did get on, but the drugs changed him as a person.
"I fought every day for three years to get him well."
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James' age-gap romance with Stella Turian raised some eyebrows
AGE GAP ROMANCE
In 2022, a then 34-year-old Arg raised eyebrows when
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The smitten star - who was 16 years Gemma's senior - even flew to her native country to meet her parents.
A source told
"That's why she was very keen for him to meet her family and go official with how she feels.
"James and Stella both lead busy lives, but they are keen to spend as much time as possible with one another and are planning a holiday, probably to
Dubai
, before the end of the year.
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"Both of them are counting down the days."
After a year of
dating
, a "heartbroken"
10
James was given a suspended sentence after pushing girlfriend Nicoline Artursson down some stairs
Credit: Instagram/@real_argent
SHOCK SENTENCE
The Sun revealed how
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Neighbours
called the police when they heard former Miss
Sweden
James spent several hours in police cells before admitting a charge of domestic violence in
court
the same day
The reality star was given a six-month suspended sentence and a two-year restraining order to stop him seeing or even contacting
An insider told The Sun: 'James and Nicoline had a row that turned nasty and he pushed her over. He was arrested and taken to a station where he was put in the cells for a few hours.
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James' pals said he was 'very sorry' for what he had done and was honest with police about what happened
Credit: Splash
'James complied with the police and the matter was resolved in the court on the same day.
'Their relationship is over and they can no longer speak or contact one another.'
Sources close to the telly star insist he is 'extremely sorry' for what has happened and insists he never meant to harm
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A friend explained: 'James has been at home in
Essex
since this happened.
'He said he had a row with Nicoline and that he tried to end the argument.
"James said he pushed Nicoline and that she fell. He is remorseful about what happened but is insisting he never meant any harm.
'He's extremely sorry for it.
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'James said he was honest when he spoke to the police and told them everything that had happened.'
The Sun has contacted Argent. Nicoline declined to comment.
Domestic abuse - how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
Emotional abuse
- Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse - gaslighting - being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
Threats and intimidation
- Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
Physical abuse
- This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
Sexual abuse
- Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
on
0808 2000 247
for free at any time, day or night
Men who are being abused can call Respect Men's Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or
on
0182 3334 244
Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring
on
0800 999 5428
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
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