The Only Way is Essex-Mick and Maria to marry?

Gemma’s wish to match-make the whole of Essex and rid the county of all singletons may be on the way to coming true, as lock and key couple (singles date night) Mick and Maria arranged to go for a drink on last night’s episode.

Mick asked Maria out on a date during Lauren Pope’s paintballing party, despite worries that it would cause trouble with his son Kirk, who in the past had a few run-ins with Maria over former girlfriend Lauren.

‘I think too much about Kirk. Kirk has to get over that stuff’, he said.

And wanting to clear the air herself, Maria decided to have a word with Kirk minus paintball guns. After telling him about the date with his dad, Kirk told her he thought it was weird as she is younger than his brother. However, Maria replied that she is older than him.

‘I prefer my dad to be with a woman with kids and life-experience’, admitted Kirk.

‘I’m just looking out for my dad. As long as you make him smile. I’m fed up with arguing.’

‘There might be a wedding’, said Maria. ‘Shut up’, replied Kirk.

But just as a potential relationship is starting, another may be coming to an end, as Mark gets involved in Lucy and new boyfriend Mario’s love life, even after agreeing to stay away from Lucy to Mario when they bumped into each other at the gym.

Mario told Mr Wright that he has given Lucy rules-not to speak to Mark or any of his family, and that he doesn’t have a problem with him.

‘I want you to respect the fact I’m with Lucy. I’m not going to lie, I asked her not to talk to you in a club.’

Mark replied, ‘You don’t need to feel threatened. You need to talk to her (Lucy) and get her not to talk to me. Anything you want to know ask me.’

However, Mark changed his tune after seeing Lucy in his flat modelling his sister Jess’ underwear ahead of the launch of her lingerie store.

‘You look smoking by the way’, said Mark as he stood in the doorway to his flat, while Lucy was mortified.

Perhaps Mark should take his dad’s advice, Mark senior, who for his first ever appearance on the show, told him he needed to ‘go out with the boys and see different girls-not from the same group.’

‘I’m sick of this, so is the whole family’, he told Mark Jr after he asked his dad whether he was handling the break-up in the right way.

His dad told him he had messed up Lauren’s life and now she has messed up his.

‘Make me proud’, he said.

Also on last night’s TOWIE

• Arg started his new job as a DJ on hospital radio, but he didn’t make a great impression after talking about the girls in Marbs. His boss told him that’s not what recovering 80-year-olds want to hear. He also said that Arg was more like Christopher Robin than Chris Moyles or Evans.
• Joey announced to his sister Frankie that he is ready to move out and get his own place. However when Frankie talked about what bills he would have to pay he was clueless, not even knowing you have to pay TV licence or for water.
• Sam and Joey agreed to meet up and talk to clear the air so it isn’t as awkward when they see each other out.