You might recognise Kirk Norcross from the first few series of Towie, but these days you’ll find him unblocking drains around Essex instead of hitting red carpets.
The former reality star was a Towie OG back in the day, alongside the likes of Mark Wright, Lauren Goodger and Amy Childs.
Long live the days Kirk whisked Amy off to the zoo for their first date and hurled shade Maria Fowler’s way by calling her an ‘extra’. Iconic.
But, while he made a name for himself wooing his co-stars and being Sugar Hut’s finest – shout out to Kirk’s dad Mick who is the man behind the nightclub – Kirk now spends his day jet-washing and unblocking drains, and he says he couldn’t be happier.
He decided to shun the limelight after experiencing a brutal side to fame, that saw him surrounded by ‘fake people and hangers-on’, following his stints on the ITVBe reality series, Celebrity Big Brother and Ex On The Beach.
Speaking to The Sun, Kirk said: ‘There is so much bulls**t going on when you live your life in the public eye. It can be toxic and you get surrounded by people who are fake and just hangers-on.
‘It can be a very brutal environment. Now I get up, go to work, keep my head down and earn a living with a bigger smile on my face.’
Kirk claims he’s ditched expensive watches and Ferraris for £20 Topman jeans, adding: ‘I realise working up a ladder clearing drains and jet-washing driveways isn’t as glamorous… but I wouldn’t swap things for the world.’
The dad-of-two says reality TV turned him into a ‘monster’ and while he still shares updates of his life on Instagram, Kirk has decided to ditch Twitter for good after struggling with his mental health over the years.
Kirk revealed he went through some dark moments as he struggled with fame and the trolling that comes with it, with the star admitting he once tried to take his own life.
‘It didn’t work. I am so glad I didn’t,’ Kirk said. ‘I have a chance now to be the person I want to be and, if I can, to make a bit of difference.’
He has no plans whatsoever to get back into the spotlight, which means we probably won’t see him in the Towie reunion special bosses are trying to lock down with the show’s original cast.
Mark Wright is in talks to return, after making his debut on Towie when it first aired back in 2010, but it’s reported he is giving bosses an ultimatum to pick either him or Lauren Goodger.
Not willing to rehash old arguments and wanting to be respectful to wife Michelle Keegan, Mark is said to be refusing to work alongside Lauren again.
Mark dated Lauren for 12 years. The pair were even engaged for five months before finally calling it quits for good in 2011 and fans would love to see the exes come face-to-face one more.
Sources claim that producers are keen to have both Mark and Lauren back on-screen in whatever way possible. They told The Sun: ‘Producers are in talks now and trying to come up with ways they can get them both on-screen as they’re show legends.
‘The last thing they want to do is upset Mark but at the same time they are really keen to see him with Lauren again.’
Throw in Gemma Collins telling Arg he’s not getting her candy, oh, and leaving a pie for Kirk’s dad Mick on his doorstep, Joey Essex taking Sam Faiers to the dump for a date and Amy handing out vajazzles and you’ve got yourself a party.
We’re off to grab the fake tan to celebrate.
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