So why IS disgraced James Argent still in Mark & Michelle's inner circle? Pals reveal truth after secret hol & ultimatum

The Sun

a day ago

THEY'VE been best friends for years, but following James Argent's shocking attack on his ex-girlfriend, many were quick to assume Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan would distance themselves from him.
And indeed, pics from their recent holiday showed friends and family, but Arg conpsicuously absent - as behind the scenes the couple have been grappling with the fallout from the devastating attack.
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As Arg continues to try and make amends for shoving his former partner, Nicoline Artursson, down a flight of stairs in Spain in May, Mark and Michelle have been quietly rallying round him, with insiders telling us they see this as 'a really sad situation' but it was 'never in question' they'd support him.
The proof comes in a new image of Arg, 37, seen in the background of a TikTok video that Mark's sister, Natalya, shared from a friends and family holiday to a luxury resort in Andalusia, Spain.
It was the first time he'd been pictured in the company of the Wrights - including Mark and Michelle with their four-month-old daughter Palma - since the attack, leading to speculation that they had taken him under their wing as he dealt with the fallout of the assault.
But it appeared clear from the holiday snaps and videos taken by the Wrights that Arg's presence, although welcome, wasn't one Michelle and Mark wanted to be conspicuous following his plunge from grace.
And Michelle is said to be cautious, insisting that she doesn't want any bad influences around her daughter.
'Stern words'
A source told us: 'Arg is basically Mark's family, it was never in question he'd support him, though of course he was completely unimpressed by everything that went down between Arg and Nicoline.
'Mark put his head in his hands when it all came out, mainly because he knows he's stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Arg is his best friend, and there is a lot of loyalty there, but Mark has a respected career and now a daughter - he absolutely doesn't condone violence towards women.
"There's been some stern words behind closed doors - tough love, you could say - but ultimately Mark and Michelle will be there for Arg as he continues to try to make amends for the hurt he's caused.'
Indeed Michelle, who met Arg through Mark, is said to be 'devastated' by Arg's actions.
The source continued: 'It's all so close to home and she has grown to love Arg like family, so she was devastated and incredibly disappointed, especially now she has Palma.
'She absolutely will not have her daughter around anyone or anything she feels is unsuitable or unsavoury. But she knows the real Arg and will stand by him.'
However, this isn't the first time Arg has put his pals in a tricky predicament. Both Mark, 38, and Arg have spoken openly about the strain Arg's demons have put on their friendship.
Just over ten years ago, Mark warned Arg that he would be banned from his and Michelle's 2015 wedding if he didn't clean up his act. At the time, TOWIE star Arg was suspended from the show over his self-confessed 'wild partying'.
He also admitted to mistreating his then-girlfriend, Lydia Bright.
It was then that Mark stepped in, prompting Arg to seek help and enter rehab in Christmas 2014.
Arg later recalled: 'Mark told me I wasn't invited to his wedding if I didn't change. But when I went into rehab, he got in touch because he was so proud of me.'
However, rehab wasn't the permanent fix Arg's loved ones had hoped for, and in 2020, Mark revealed he'd threatened to cut him off again, after Arg's cocaine use spiralled out of control.
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Speaking on Loose Women, Mark explained how desperate the situation had become.
Mark said: 'I text him and said, 'you're not affecting my life anymore, I'm done'. Obviously I didn't mean that. I said that to scare him.'
It worked. Arg messaged Mark later to tell him he'd reached 'rock bottom'.
'On Boxing Day he texted me and said: 'I'm ready. I've hit rock bottom. I need to go to rehab'. I got on the phone to a rehab centre I researched in Thailand and then I booked it for him the next day and he got on a plane and he went.'
'Rock bottom'
Arg went on to get sober and lose 13 stone in weight thanks to a gastric sleeve.
Mark expressed his admiration for his friend, telling the press he was 'so, so proud of Arg.'
And he and Michelle, 38, love to affectionately rib him when they can.
Last year, Michelle hilariously revealed that Arg was banned from using the toilet in their lavish Essex mansion after he 'destroyed it'.
With so much water under the bridge - and with Arg copping to his bad behaviour, accepting a six-month suspended sentence for the assault on Nicoline - our source doesn't believe that Mark will take the same stance as before and threaten to cut him off.
And Mark and Michelle clearly have the backing of their family, including Mark's mum Carol and sister Jess.
There's been lots of talking and apologising - Arg knows if anything like this ever happened again, the family won't be so forgiving.
Source
Allowing him to join the holiday group for a day at the prestigious La Reserva Club Sotogrande in Spain in early June was a clear sign of the rehabilitation underway.
Lying on a lounger by the pool, Arg looked trim and relaxed on what he would regard as a much-need break with friends.
Markedly however, there were no posed pictures, despite Michelle, Mark and sister Natalya posting a series of sweet snaps from the day.
The source said: 'Arg has made it clear he's devastated and apologises for letting everyone down and as a result the Wrights have rallied around him.
'There's been lots of talking and apologising - Arg knows if anything like this ever happened again, the family won't be so forgiving. But while they really do see this as an isolated incident and a really sad situation, he'll definitely have to tread carefully if he wants to stay in favour going forward.'
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Last month, Arg was pictured at the wedding of former TOWIE co-stars Georgia Kousolou and Tommy Mallett and prior to that he celebrated pal Megan McKenna's nuptials too.
'The Essex crowd are a tight-knit group of friends and they will all look out for each other,' the source continued. 'People outside of his circles are disgusted with Arg but those that know him are definitely stepping up to show their support, it's not just Mark and Michelle.'
One person who is far from impressed, however, is Nicoline.
After Arg was sentenced, the Swedish model, 32, released a bombshell 800-word statement, blasting his behaviour.
Nicoline wrote: 'I have cried so many tears thinking about the way he chose to hurt me. He said he loved me and I believed him and here we are. There is now a legal record of what happened. Violence has no excuse - no matter how much love preceded it.'