Inside ‘make or break’ shake-up to save Towie – from bringing back fan favourites to AXING key cast members

Towie has long been a fixture on our screens, but behind the scenes the long-running reality hit is facing one of its biggest fights yet to prove itself. We can reveal the show is in “survival mode” as bosses scramble to breathe new life into it, with a major shake-up underway. Towie is facing a major shake-up as ITV have warned the producers that their ratings need to be improved It’s a stark difference to the early seasons of the reality show which were immensely successful Credit: Rex Producers have been given a clear steer that Towie needs to feel more like its old self again. This has sparked a major rethink behind the scenes, with producers overhauling their entire casting strategy and becoming far more “ruthless” about who stays and who goes. One insider told The Sun: “There is a very real sense internally that the show is at a crossroads. The big question is what happens after the next series, and that uncertainty is hanging over everyone. “The cast’s future is uncertain. It feels a bit make or break now,” explained our source. The pressure comes as ITV prepares for a major shake-up, with incoming bosses already making changes ahead of the official acquisition of the company by Sky, owned by US telecoms giant Comcast. And the message from the top has filtered its way down to the TOWIE production team. Our mole explains: “The incoming bosses at ITV are already making strategy changes ahead of the official acquisition next year. There is absolutely a feeling that Towie has to prove itself again.” At the centre of the fightback is producer Rebecca Kenny-Smith, who insiders say has a clear game plan for taking the show back to its glory days. Our source said: “Rebecca has a very clear strategy for where she wants to take the show and it involves being much more ruthless about the cast. “There is a real desire to shake things up rather than just carry on as before.” The strategy has already triggered a brutal ‘bloodbath’, as we revealed earlier this month how a string of stars are facing the chop. Our source said: “This isn’t change for the sake of change. Towie needs to feel exciting and unpredictable again, and that means making some pretty brutal decisions.” “There has been a complete rethink to the approach of casting. They’re looking at who can recreate some of that old-school Towie magic. “There is a real appetite to bring in fan favourites who can generate the kind of drama and chemistry the show was once famous for, while also making room for a new generation.” And the ruthless new approach has apparently left the cast looking over their shoulders with no one certain they’ll make it through the next series. A second source close to the show said: “The cast are being continuously told they need to bring it in terms of drama, and with all the whispers of another brutal cull, they’re falling over themselves to find storylines. “It’s very much survival of the fittest right now. Everyone knows they need to bring something to the table and nobody wants to be seen as expendable. And our insider says it’s some of the newer faces to the show who are at risk. “There are certainly questions around some of the newer cast, including the three boys who have joined last series and newer girls such as Livvy Jay. Multiple cast members will face the axe, with newcomers Joe and Jonnie Gurie among the names rumoured to face the threat Credit: ITV Livvy Jay is another newbie who may be culledCredit: Refer to source “The feeling is that the show needs to concentrate on the established characters and the people who have genuine history and storylines – names like Ella [Rae Wise], Dani [Imbert], Sophie [Kasaei] and Jordan [Brook], Junaid [Ahmed] and Joe [Blackman], Amy [Childs] and Lauren [Goodger].” However, the show’s veterans shouldn’t assume they are untouchable. Our insider continued: “Production are being extremely tough. Nobody can assume they’re safe just because they’ve been around for years or have been a big name in the past.” Our mole added: “The cast are very aware that things have changed and there is a lot of uneasiness about where everyone stands. It has created a sense of competition. People who previously would have felt completely secure are now questioning whether they’ll be back. “When you see people being dropped, it makes everyone wonder who could be next. Nobody wants to be the person production decides they can do without.” That marks a significant shift for a show which has survived countless cast changes, break-ups and controversies over its 15-year history. Earlier this month, The Sun exclusively revealed that the show had been renewed for another series, which will be its third this year. But insiders insist the renewal should not be mistaken for long-term security. The producers are keen to focus on the etsablished characters and storylines Credit: Getty Sophie and Jordan are other names tipped to be safe Credit: Social media – Refer to source “It feels like survival mode. Production knows the show has to change and the cast knows it too. Everyone is watching what is happening to everyone else and wondering if they’re next,” our source said. That has left producers with the unenviable task of trying to make Towie feel fresh again while holding on to the ingredients that made it such a hit in the first place. And that means a major rethink of who gets a place at the heart of the show. The upcoming series will therefore be watched particularly closely by those behind the scenes, with the results likely to shape what happens next. The insider continued: “They have to prove they can turn things around, and everyone involved knows how important it is.” With all this, Essex’s next big drama could be happening long before the next episode hits our screens. ITV have been contacted for comment.