She’ll be the first to tell you that becoming an overnight reality star certainly has its pluses – whether that be enjoying a “flirty friendship” with the sexy pirate Pete Wicks, or getting dolled up to sip cocktails on camera. But Ella Rae Wise, 20 – who joined TOWIE in 2019 - knows it can also be a tough old gig, especially when the trolls come out.
Speaking to heat, Ella exclusively reveals why she recently had a breast augmentation, telling us that, while she did it for herself and no one else, it didn’t help having strangers constantly judging her online. But first, we want the romance goss…
So, has there been any more off-camera kissing with Pete?
No, there hasn’t been anything! I haven’t actually seen him for a little while due to social distancing and stuff. But I’m quite chilled. I’ve been on a date with Roman [Hackett, a TOWIE newcomer], but I’m actually quite liking being on my own at the moment.
What kind of guys do you usually go for?
The wrong ones! The ones that say they’re really loyal, but cheating is like their hobby. It’s disgusting. That’s why I’m single. My mum always says to me, “You need an older man,” because I’m mature for my age and mum does know best.
You had a breast augmentation last month – what made you decide to do it?
I always wanted my boobs done, ever since I was 13. When everyone in school was growing boobs, I was like, “Mum, why am I not getting boobs?” Every girl in my family has big boobs, I don’t know why I didn’t get them. I had nipples, that was it! And then I went on holiday recently and saw all these lovely girls looking amazing in their bikinis. And, at the same time, I was getting all these nasty comments on my photos and all these messages saying, “Look at your chest. You’ve got the body of a 12 year old.” People have the foulest mouths. I’m quite thick-skinned and I did it for me, but social media didn’t help.
CHECK OUT TOWIE's most iconic moments
CLOSER: TOWIE's most iconic moments - SLIDER
1 of 17Amy gives Sam a vajazzle
There's no better place to start than the birth of the 'vajazzle', a crystal encrusted pattern that can be applied to a woman's nether regions to make their bits looks fancy and elegant. Beaut babe. After Amy Childs and Sam Faiers filmed this scene and it had aired, this was the only thing the nation was talking about, with salons across the country starting to offer the beauty treatment so fans of the show could replicate their idols and be a true Essex women.
2 of 17Kirk calls Maria an extra
Cast your minds back to when Kirk Norcross and Lauren Pope were a thing (dig deep guys) and Kirk fell out with Lauren's friend Maria Fowler. Obviously, the pair were fighting over literally nothing, but that didn't stop them, as they came head to head in a bar and Kirk ended up calling Maria an "extra". Savage. Things then soured further as Maria started to date Kirk's DAD Mick Norcross, joking that she was Kirk's step-mum.
3 of 17Arg buys Lydia a pig
When James 'Arg' Argent and Lydia Bright joined series 2 of the reality show, they instantly became fan favourites, with their romantic love story wooing the nation. So when Arg bought Lydia a micro pig named Mr Darcy to declare his love for her, they both made us think, 'Would our partner do that for us?'. However, it turned out Mr Darcy wasn't a micro pig and was in fact a normal pig, outgrowing Lydia's back garden and having to be sent to a farm to live.
4 of 17Lauren and Mark get engaged
How could we forget the first ever engagement of TOWIE, with Mark Wright and Lauren Goodger looking loved up and ready to take on the world. They'd been together nearly ten years before they joined the show and their love seemed to blossom as Mark popped the question, confirming his love for the Essex beauty. There was just one thing, they got engaged in a car park. Classy.
5 of 17Sam declares her love for Mark
But there was drama just around the corner, as Sam decided she was in love with the hunk and admitted it to his face, making him question whether he wanted to be engaged to Lauren anymore.
6 of 17Lauren pushes Mark into a swimming pool
Literally, the most iconic moment. Having been questioning his relationship and engagement to Lauren, Mark was having doubts, as was Lauren, after rumours of cheating began to surface and cracks started to show. As Mark headed to a pool party with the rest of the cast, leaving Lauren at home, she was having none of it and decided to unexpectedly turn up. Mark was so surprised and Lauren kicked off, following Mark's comments that she should go back home. She ended up pushing him in the pool and the pair split.
7 of 17Lucy and Mario get engaged
TOWIE has seen many of these but Lucy Mecklenburgh and Mario Falcone's engagement was the most romantic, extra TOWIE scene to air. Away on holiday, sunbathing on a yacht, Mario pulls out a whopper of a diamond and asks Lucy to be his wife. Despite the ups and downs in their relationship, it seemed like the pair were finally settled....
8 of 17Lucy swilling Mario with red wine at a white party
Cue the drama. Lucy and Mario's relationship becomes plagued with cheating rumours, breaks down and they eventually call it quits. Will there ever be a happy ever after on this show? Probably not.
9 of 17Harry's 18th birthday party
A favourite party moment of ours was when Harry Derbridge hosted a fancy dress themed party for his 18th, with many of the cast member going over the top (of course). Harry turned up as Lady Gaga, wowing his attendees but let's not forget the late Nanny Pat who turned up as the actual Queen. Icon.
10 of 17Gemma telling Arg, "You ain't ever gong to get this candy
After Arg and Lydia broke up then got back together then broke up then got back together then finally ended their relationship, Arg moved on with Gemma Collins, otherwise known as the GC. Yet again, it looked like the pair were made for each other but things soon spiralled out of control and the relationship catastrophically ended, with Gemma turning up in front of everyone at a pool party, whacking off her caftan and shouting "You ain't ever going to get this candy". James just stood in the middle of the pool, mouth opened, shocked. We still haven't recovered.
11 of 17Sam and Joey have their first date
Sam and Joey Essex were an unlikely match on TOWIE, seen as though Joey was a few years younger than Sam. However, the pair seemed to get on like a house on fire and decided to see whether their friendship would work as a relationship and Joey took Sam on their first date. But he took her to a dump. His reasoning was that it would be "different" and "cool", but it ended up being stinky and gut wrenching instead.
12 of 17Gemma leaving Mick a pie, and him pieing her off
Kirk's dad Mick was a catch back in the day, owning the legendary club Sugar Hut, where all the cast members would party on and off screen. One cast member who wanted a bit of Mick was Gemma, who lovingly made him a pie and left it on his doorstep to win his affections. However, it didn't seem to work as Mick said he didn't like Gemma in that way and pied her off with her pie. Ouch.
13 of 17When Gemma held an exorcism
Gemma is known for her "GC" persona - the larger than life, savage and diva princess. But in one episode, Gemma decided enough was enough and wanted to show the real her. Therefore, the took the logical conclusion to having an exorcism to get "the GC" persona out of her body. You cannot write this stuff.
14 of 17Joey and Ricky fight in a shop
After Ricky Rayment joined the show, there wasn't an instant connection between him and Joey, after the pair were talking about each other behind each others backs. It all came to a head at the re-opening of Lauren Goodger's beauty salon, with the pair scrapping inside and outside the shop, knocking products over as they fought onto the high street. The fight was seen as so bad, Essex Police were called to stop the pair from fighting. They later apologised to each other and made up.
15 of 17Gemma and Ferne's diva fight
The fight of all fights. In a quiet, suburban town sit three women as they watch Gemma and Ferne McCann have a war with words over who has "earned their divaship". Nothing else needs to be said, except from TV gold.
16 of 17Bobby and Harry's thong schlongs
When Bobby Norris joined TOWIE, he brought all the sass that the show needed. However, he also showed a lot of ass when he, and boyfriend at the time Harry, decided to wear a unique form of swimwear, which we're fondly calling 'Shlong Thong'. It really covered nothing and sent viewers at home wild, leading to some viewers putting in formal complaints.
17 of 17Megan kicks off at Pete
After Megan McKenna's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, TOWIE bosses were quick to sign up the TV babe, and it just so happened she'd started dating Pete Wicks, which meant she had the perfect storyline when joining the show. Their love seemed to blossom, with the pair becoming 'Head Couple' on the show for nearly two years. However, the cracks soon started to show after it was revealed Pete had been sexting other girls, leaving Megan extremely angry. This led to her epic outburst on the beach in Marbella, blowing her other TV tantrums out of the water. "Go be single!" she screamed. We can still hear it echoing around the world now.
Were you nervous before the op?
Yeah, it was scary because no one was allowed in with me [due to COVID restrictions] – I’d normally have had my mum there. But my mum spoke to my surgeon [Dr Frati] before I went in and she said, “Make sure they’re not big and that they look natural or she’s coming back to have them taken out!” She wouldn’t have let me have them done if they didn’t look natural.
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Are you happy with the results?
Yeah, my scars are tiny and they’ll hopefully fade. I’ve been keeping my support bra on all day and all night. They’re not massive, which I’m pleased about, because I can wear tops that aren’t booby. I was about a 34A before and now I’m a 34C/D. And it’s definitely improved my confidence. I look at myself now and think, “Ooh, I can actually buy triangle bikinis because I have something there.”
A lot of celebs say they regret having surgery. Are you worried about that?
I did think about that – lots of girls have had reductions. But I’ve only gone for what I would have naturally had if I did have boobs. I don’t want any more surgery – I don’t have any other insecurities. I’m happy now.
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine – OUT NOW.