ITVBe’s The Only Way is Essex is returning to our screens this summer with season 30 kicking off in the stunning Dominican Republic.
But it’s not just the location that’s new, with Harry Derbridge’s boyfriend Jackson Lonergan making his debut on the 30th season.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com ahead of the launch, original TOWIE star Harry admitted he was “worried” Jackson would be “nervous” when it came to filming the reality TV show.
He explained: “My partner Jack who I’ve been with since Feb – obviously we’re quite new still and we’re still trying to get to know each other, but that’s what I love about TOWIE. We put everything out there and we don’t hide anything. So, I am excited that obviously the audience will get to love my new partner. This is like his first [TV role], I feel like he’s done tiny TV bits, but nothing crazy!”
Asked how Jackson’s first scenes went, Harry said: “He surprised me! He was actually really confident on camera. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s going to be so nervous!’ because when we’re filming it’s not just whoever is filming – you’ve got three camera crews, you’ve got two mic men, and you’ve got three producers. It probably ends up being approved by 15 people watching what’s going on, so it is a little bit scary. So I thought, ‘Is he going to be scared?’ But he was actually so good!”
In terms of how Jackson got on with the rest of the cast, including Harry’s bestie and cousin Amy Childs, he added: “Only half the cast have met him. Obviously, my Amy knows Jack really well. He will meet everyone, but to be honest I’m only really close with half of them anyway.”
The Only Way is Essex season 30 starts on Sunday 21st August at 9pm on ITVBe and ITV Hub. Want something else to watch in the meantime? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.
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