Ahh, Christmas. A time for quiet reflection on the year that’s gone by; for sharing a little tipple with your loved ones over dinner; for relaxing in front of an open fire…

YEAH, RIGHT! This is Essex, and here, we do things a little differently.

The big, big, BIG news from The Only Way is Essexmas 2012 was the announcement that Lydia is leaving. Nooooooooooo. What will we do without her brilliant fashion sense? Does that mean it really is the end for her and Arg? And most importantly, will we still get visiting rights for Mr. Darcy down on the farm?

Next on the pretty-sweeting-awesome update list is the fact the one, the only, Mark Wright made a brief return to everyone’s favourite county! He put in a call to Sam (were there sparks? Were there? WERE THERE? No, really, tell us, we don’t know) and he cheered up an upset Arg by proclaiming that “MARG WILL NEVER DIE”.

Over on the Sam and Joey front, and things are all hickledy-pickledy following the whole ‘was he going to propose or was he going to break up with her’ drama during the TOWIE live episode. They bickered about this quite a bit, but then everything was okay because they got in a hot tub and started making out. Phew.

In other relationship news: Lauren and Kirk confirmed they are friends with benefits; Mario and Lucy had an argument about Mario’s career on the London Eye, and Danni totally snogged Charlie underneath some fake mistletoe (nothing says romance like plastic greenery).

Oooh, and very lastly (although in retrospect, probably deserving of the biggest headline), NANNY PAT WORE AN ACTUAL ONESIE.

NANNY PAT.

IN A ONESIE.

It is this image we will leave you with.

Merry Essexmas, one and all.