James Argent has sparked romance rumours with Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, just months after he revealed he had ‘really struggled’ with being single on Valentine’s Day.
The reality star, 36, launched to fame on The Only Way Is Essex where the pitfalls of his romance with childhood sweetheart Lydia Bright and on-off girlfriend Gemma Collins were well documented.
In 2012, Gemma coined the phrase: ‘You ain’t ever going to get this candy’ but the couple went on to have an eight year on-off relationship before splitting for good in 2020.
As speculation swirls the television personality could be romancing Love Island star Ekin, 29, after her split from Davide Sanclimenti, MailOnline takes a look at Arg’s turbulent love life…
James Argent has sparked romance rumours with Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, just months after he revealed he had ‘really struggled’ with being single on Valentine’s Day
Ekin-Su
As speculation swirls the television personality could be romancing Love Island star Ekin, 29, after her split from Davide Sanclimenti, MailOnline takes a look at Arg’s turbulent love life…
James and Ekin-Su have grown close after enjoying cosy dates round each other’s Essex houses following her dramatic elimination from Celebrity Big Brother in March.
Sources say while the couple are not official, friends are excited to see where their relationship could go after James, 36, supported Ekin, 29, when she struggled to cope with harsh trolls amid the reality show backlash.
It is Ekin’s first dalliance since her split from Love Island boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti, 29, in January and former TOWIE star James hasn’t been with anyone since parting ways from Stella Turian, 19, last November.
An insider told MailOnline: ‘James lives close to Ekin, they are practically neighbours – so when she needed a friend after Celebrity Big Brother, he was there for her.
‘Their friendship developed into something stronger and they started to spend more time together, even passionately kissing.
Ekin-Su won Love Island in 2022 alongside ex-boyfriend Davide, who she was in an on/off relationship with until they finally parted ways in January
‘It’s still early days and they both appreciate they need to take it slow, having come out of high-profile relationships in the past six months… but there’s no denying the feelings and chemistry between them.’
Ekin was the fourth housemate to be voted out of Celebrity Big Brother after enduring a turbulent few weeks on the series, which she starred on alongside the likes of Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne.
But her treatment post-elimination was worse after she became embroiled in a bullying row on spin-off show Late & Live, and was wrongly accused by Lorraine Kelly of pulling out of an appearance on her morning show at the last minute, which the Scottish TV host later apologised for.
She decided not to attend the Celebrity Big Brother final, with both her management and the ITV1 team keen to protect the star, who had been feeling ‘vulnerable’ and exposed to hateful trolls.
As she kept a low profile following the end of CBB, she grew close to James, and together they bonded over their mutual ups and downs of being well-known figures in the industry.
James, who has found new success with The Arg Band, is looking better than ever after having ‘life changing’ gastric band surgery in 2021 and prioritising his health and wellbeing.
After attending a rehab facility, losing over 14 stone and eradicating drugs and alcohol, the former TOWIE star has transformed his life and is now more than three years sober.
MailOnline has contacted Arg and Ekin’s representatives for comment.
Stella Turian
James raised eyebrows when he started dating Stella Turian, 19, due to their 16-year age gap. They had a year long romance but the couple split in November
They had a year long romance where they travelled to Marbella together with Arg’s Band and shared loved-up selfies on Instagram
James raised eyebrows when he started dating Stella Turian, 19, due to their 16-year age gap.
They had a year long romance where they travelled to Marbella together with Arg’s Band and shared loved-up selfies on Instagram.
But the couple split in November, with a heartbroken Arg admitting he found Valentine’s Day this year a ‘struggle’.
James told the My Dirty Laundry podcast he had to stay off social media because it got him down so much.
Having tackled his demons, staying sober for two years and losing 15 stone in weight, James said: ‘I’m in a really good place. Everything in my life is perfect, apart from my love life. It would be nice if that would change.
‘But, I couldn’t help it. There was times where I’d just have a little glance and all you would see was couples. Everyone’s madly in love. Everyone’s happy.
‘Everyone’s out on dates. There’s flowers, there’s balloons, there’s chocolates, there’s date nights or trips or happily married couples – and yeah, it did start to affect me a little bit.’
But James has said that rather than wallow in misery, he tried to go out to make himself feel better, but a trip to the shops didnt’ help the situation at all.
He said: ‘I thought, I’m gonna get out the house and a food shop and I went to my local supermarket and what made things a million times worse, every single aisle that I looked at was a Valentine’s Day dine-in meal for two…
‘It was starters, main, dessert and a drink for 20 quid. And I was like, “oh no”, it just absolutely, it just got to me.
‘But I went to bed that night, had a good night’s sleep and then the next day I was fine. I was happy again, I was fine.’
Gemma Collins
Gemma and Arg briefly dated in 2012, before embarking on a tumultuous love story from December 2017, they split for good two years later
Gemma and Arg briefly dated in 2012, before embarking on a tumultuous love story from December 2017, they split for good two years later, with Gemma saying she was was at an ‘all-time low’ over Christmas 2019.
She noted their romance turned ‘very sour’ because of Arg’s drug addiction, insisting drugs ‘changed him as a person’.
Gemma and Arg’s romance came to an end in July 2020 after he told her he wanted an open relationship following his well-publicised drug and alcohol battle.
Speaking about their romance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories previously, Gemma said: ‘For anyone who ever thinks about taking drugs, or just trying it for one night, you can end up getting addicted.
‘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.
‘I have felt suicidal … I think when my relationship broke down with Arg, that affected me. I just thought, I don’t wanna be here anymore. I can’t take it.
‘Christmas was an all-time low. I saved his life three times, I had this insatiable love for him – I never wanted to give up on him.
‘It was hard, there was a lot of love there – the relationship turned very, very sour because of the drugs.’
Gemma, meanwhile, is engaged to Rami Hawash. Rami popped the question in the Maldives with a huge diamond ring
Troubled James was taken to hospital for the second time in two months in 2019, after friends and family feared he had attempted a second ‘overdose’.
Paramedics rushed to his £1.3million home in South Woodford, Essex in December, where they found the star ‘disorientated’ shortly before friends – including Mark Wright – rallied around in a bid to help him get the support he needs.
Arg has battled drink and drug addiction since finding fame on TOWIE. In 2014 he was suspended from the show after he failed a routine drugs test.
James checked into The Priory and returned to the ITV reality show in 2015.
The TV star spent three months in a facility in Thailand over the festive season in 2016 in a bid to curb his addiction and revealed he checked himself in to a programme in order to get the ‘ongoing support’ he needed.
However, he was dedicated to getting his life back on track and in January celebrated two years of sobriety.
Gemma, meanwhile, is engaged to Rami Hawash. Rami popped the question in the Maldives with a huge diamond ring, that MailOnline revealed is worth in excess of a staggering £200,000.
Gemma has said that she doesn’t want to wear the ring too often due to its value and plans to wear a replica, except for special occasions.
Gemma has known Rami for over ten years after meeting the businessman back in 2011 and they have been engaged twice before.
He had originally proposed by placing the ring in a Christmas pudding in 2013 when they first start dating.
Lydia Bright
TOWIE exes Lydia and James were high school sweethearts, dating from 2002 until 2012 and again from 2015-2016
Fans have speculated in recent years that the pair have reconciled in secret due to their closeness but they remain just friends
The reality star is dating tattooed landscape gardener Ben Davies and even took him James’ gig in Chigwell recently (pictured with her daughter Loretta)
TOWIE exes Lydia and James were high school sweethearts, dating from 2002 until 2012 and again from 2015-2016.
The reality star confessed in his autobiography he cheated on Lydia with Amy Childs in the toilets at an ITV party, with Sam Faiers walking in on their passionate clinch.
He said at the time: ‘It happened when I was with Lydia. I didn’t sleep with Amy but we kissed and I got caught.’
Fans have speculated in recent years that the pair have reconciled in secret due to their closeness but they remain just friends.
Lydia and her mother Debbie have supported Arg during his toughest moments, supporting the reality star as he battled against drug and alcohol abuse, with James now conquering his demons.
In series two of the reality show, back in 2011, cracks first started to appear in Arg’s relationship with Lydia, then 22, when she grew concerned about the way he bragged about his close friendship with Amy.
They had a bust-up at cast member Harry Derbidge’s 17th birthday bash.
That same year, Amy quit the show, but not before confronting James about his lies to Lydia about their supposed relationship, at a pool party organised by Mark Wright.
A year later, after the couple had split again, Lydia learned of Arg’s cheating, and on the reality show, said she could never trust anyone again.
Lydia sobbed to her mother Debbie: ‘I literally feel sick. For four years how can someone be so deceitful? I’ll never trust anybody again.’
The reality star is dating tattooed landscape gardener Ben Davies and even took him James’ gig in Chigwell recently.
