TOWIE bosses aren't expecting me to be in The Jump long, jokes Arg
Filming starts again in three weeks and it seems The Only Way Is Essex lot are expecting Arg to already be out of the competition and back in Essex by then...
The Only Way Is Essex star James ‘Arg’ Argent has joked show bosses have no problem with him taking part in Channel 4’s The Jump because they’re thinking he’ll be back pretty sharpish.
The Jump sees celebrities compete in bonkers winter sports challenges, including skeleton and ski jumping. It starts this Sunday and, for those who stay in until the end, it’ll run for six weeks. With TOWIE filming kicking off again in three weeks it seems a difficult double act to juggle, but the series regular joked bosses aren't worried.
“I think in TOWIE’s mind they’re pretty confident I’ll be back…”
“That’s the reason they were fine with me doing it,” he added with a laugh, speaking to RadioTimes.com in Innsbruck ahead of the first live show.
Arg is a complete beginner and had never skied before flying out for the show. Well, apart from one trip to a ski school in Brentwood with Mark Wright many moons ago, which he laughed had no snow at all.
“I’m not a natural skier, I’m working my butt off,” he admitted.
Arg’s place in the competition comes with the extra pressure of fellow TOWIE star Joey Essex winning last year. While he’s not thinking about how he matches up to Mr Essex, he did seek some advice from the reigning champ.
“I did call him before I got out here and he said: ‘Arg you’re going to love it, it’s the most amazing experience, just go for it, try your best.’ I got here and I did the skeleton and I found it traumatic. I was like, terrified. I felt like crying coming off of it, I was all shaken up. I was like ‘Joey did you really enjoy this? I feel like I’ve been through the worst experience of my life…’ and he was like ‘Nah, that was pretty tough, that was horrible weren’t it?’
But he’s not been put off.
“You’ve just got to go for it, try your best. That’s the only advice I can take. I can’t really compete with Joey. He’s a much smaller frame, he’s always been smaller and more athletic. So I’ve just got to do my own thing and represent Essex the best way that I can.”
In fact, Arg’s biggest complaint seems to have been the yellow coloured Lycra they put him in for the promotional Jump photographs – “I looked like Homer Simpson!” – but they’ve toned it down.
“I’m in dark blues and greens now - more flattering!”
The Jump starts Sunday at 7:30pm on Channel 4
