Lydia Bright reunites with ex James Argent at her sister Romana’s leaving party as she jokes she’s been ‘trying to get rid of him since 2017’

Lydia Bright reunited with her ex James Argent at her sister Romana’s farewell party on Monday evening.

The former TOWIE star, 32, and James, 35, starred together on the reality show and had a tumultuous on-off relationship.

The couple eventually called it quits in 2016 after reports that Arg’s partying got out of hand.

But they have since become good friends, with Arg maintaining a close relationship with her family and attending events such as Romana’s farewell party at Zuma London ahead of her travels around Australia.

During the fancy dinner, Lydia beamed in snaps with her former flame as she joked in the caption that she’s been “trying to get rid of him since 2017.”

She then added in her next story, “I’m just kidding, I love you so much. Sinitta and Simon from Essex! Thank you @real_arg for organizing such a beautiful evening.’

Lydia looked stylish in a black T-shirt that showed off her toned abs and was paired with a matching long skirt and heels.

Meanwhile, influencer Romana, 20, wowed in a beige skirt, long boots and a cozy jumper.

Lydia also shared a sweet photo of James and Romana laughing together at the dinner table.

The pair are often seen together on nights out, with James remaining part of their family after the breakup.

Lydia is currently believed to be single and shares daughter Loretta, three, with her ex Lee Cronin.

Meanwhile, James is dating much younger Italian actress Stella Turian, 19.

He previously had an on-again, off-again relationship with fellow TOWIE alum Gemma Collins.

In recent months, James has shown off the results of his incredible 13 stone weight loss.

James shed the pounds in 2021 by undergoing life-saving stomach surgery, taking him from 27 stone to 14.

During his time on TOWIE, James – who has found a second career as an events singer since leaving the hit series – famously dated co-stars Gemma and Lydia, but is now dating 19-year-old Stella.

James – who underwent surgery to remove excess skin earlier this year – recently explained how his body transformation had helped him boost his confidence in the bedroom.

He said: ‘I now feel more confident in the bedroom… whether it’s romantic, at the beach or in clothes, across the board I now feel more confident in all these areas.

‘Whether you’re a man or a woman or have a dream body from the outside, everyone has certain parts of their body that they would like to improve, or that they don’t like, no matter who you are.

‘I have self-confidence now. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to improve and get to the gym and gain more strength, but I will definitely be confident when summer comes.

‘I went from 27 stone to 14 stone, so I lost 13 stone… I reached my target weight, but when I wanted to wear a tight-fitting top I felt conscious because of my excess skin around my stomach and sides.’

‘I knew there was nothing I could do about my skin with diet or exercise. I still wanted to feel confident, naked or around the pool.’

James is currently preparing to take to the stage for the pantomime season.

In recent weeks he has been busy promoting his upcoming role of Peter Pan at the King’s Theater in Portsmouth over the festive period.

Former EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson will play the menacing Captain Hook.

The former Celebs Go Dating contestant has previously appeared in pantomime, first as Dandini in a 2016 production of Cinderella and then in the role of Abanazar in Aladdin in 2019.

The upcoming production of Peter Pan runs from December 1 to 31 at the King’s Theater in Portsmouth.

James previously explained that he “loves” performing on stage at Christmas so he can get into the spirit of the holidays.

He said: “I absolutely love pantomime, especially the interaction with the audience. There’s nothing like a good panto to really get you into the festive season.’