TOWIE’s James Argent pays tribute to co-star Jake Hall who died aged 35

Former TOWIE star James “Arg” Argent has shared a heartfelt tribute to his “dear mate” Jake Hall, who unexpectedly died at the age of 35, sharing behind-the-scenes footage of a special day they shared together

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Reality TV star James Argent has paid tribute to his “dear mate” Jake Hall, saying he “loves and misses so much”, following his sudden death at the age of 35.

The former The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) favourite, widely known as “Arg”, took to social media to honour his fellow cast member, whom he described as having “infectious energy” and being “one of a kind”, reports the Mirror.

Argent, 38, shared behind-the-scenes footage with Hall from a photoshoot following a “huge weight-loss goal”, telling his nearly one million followers how “lucky” he felt to have that “beautiful memory” captured on film.

Beneath the video, Argent wrote: “I’ve been processing the loss of my dear mate Jake. Watching videos, looking through photos, listening to voice notes and reading messages from our friendship. It hurts real bad.

(Image: ITV)

“This footage was taken around four years ago as I’d just hit a huge weight-loss goal. Jake was so proud of me, he organised a full shoot with a videographer/photographer using his own clothing designs at his studio in east London.”

Argent recalled feeling “unsure” about the photoshoot but revealed that Hall “insisted”, adding: “He did this because he wanted me to finally feel good about myself. He gave me so much confidence. He spent the day raising me up.”

“We didn’t stop laughing and had so much fun together. I’m so lucky to have this beautiful memory.

“Jake had infectious energy and was one of a kind. Love and miss my mate so much.” The post was flooded with an outpouring of support from fans, friends and former cast members, including fellow Towie stars Billie Shepherd, Danielle Armstrong and Ferne McCann.

Hall joined the Towie lineup in 2015, subsequently dating co-star Chloe Lewis before leaving the programme in 2024. He also established his own menswear brand, By Jake Hall.

Heartfelt tributes have continued to pour in over recent days, with soap actor Ryan Thomas sharing a moving message on Sunday morning, in which he disclosed the final text message he received from the television personality.

Thomas shared a black-and-white video montage featuring himself alongside Hall with his 1.3 million followers, celebrating him as “always the coolest guy in the room”, who had “class, charisma” and a “magic about him that nobody else had”.

(Image: Natalie Martinez/Shutterstock)

In a touching tribute to Hall’s eight-year-old daughter River, Thomas also wrote: “His next chapter is written in the stars now and it’s all about River. I promise she’ll grow up surrounded by love and stories about how inspiring and powerful her daddy is.”

The mother of his child took to Instagram on Saturday, revealing that both she and her daughter’s hearts were “shattered”. Albanian model Misse Beqiri posted a series of pictures featuring herself, Hall and their daughter, revealing that the outpouring of messages following his death was “both heartbreaking and beautiful all at once”.

The Real Housewives Of Cheshire star also spoke of how she loved Hall from “the very first moment I saw you”, continuing: “You left behind your mini version, our River, and for that we are forever grateful. You will always live on through her, and you will forever be with us.”

Fellow celebrities also came forward to offer their tributes, amongst them Hall’s close friend and former Towie co-star Vas J Morgan, who took to Instagram to describe his death as a “deeply difficult loss”, voicing his regret that they hadn’t been afforded more time together.

Former Made In Chelsea star Akin Solanke likewise posted a touching photograph alongside Hall on Instagram, writing: “If I never told you how much you inspired me, I hope you knew regardless.”

On Wednesday, renowned celebrity DJ Fat Tony shared a moving tribute across his social media channels, posting: “Devastating news we love you @jakehall such an awful loss to the world you beautiful man x.”