'It's wild - what do you expect!'

The Only Way Is Essex star Ella Rae Wise promises the show's Christmas special will be bursting with drama

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Filming this year's 90-minute Christmas special of The Only Way Is Essex was nothing short of chaotic in the most TOWIE way. The cast of the show headed to a twinkling Christmas market, with mulled wine, festive lights and, uniquely this year, Ella Rae Wise's very own cake stall.

The star, whose family and friends are familiar with her baking skills, set up the stall as both a fun festive activity and a clever way to break the ice with her costars.

"I'm really good at baking," she says. "Not everyone's my biggest fan, but they will be when I put a bit of cake in their belly. It was a great icebreaker. Come over, buy a mince pie, have a chat with me. It actually worked."

The 25-year-old's culinary talents even led to a reunion with her former flame Dan Edgar - and it seems time apart has allowed them both to grow.

"Dan came over to the stall. I hadn't seen him since the charity ball in the finale," Ella recalls. "It was actually nice. We had a really respectful chat and left it on a good note. I think we needed a breather. A couple of months off filming helped us both. Our friendship is important - nothing bad enough happened to lose that."