It may be February, freezing temperatures and a bitterly cold sea but it did not stop the stars of The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) taking a mid-winter dip at Walton.

Joey Essex, James 'Arg' Argent, Mario Falcone and James 'Diags' Bennwith, stripped off down to their underwear and braved the icy waters for an episode of the ITV2 show which attracts around 1.5million viewers.

A small crowd gathered at the East Terrace beach to witness the antics of the lads which will be shown on Sunday night.

The storyline has yet to be revealed and those who want to find out more will have to switch on at the weekend.

Lime Pictures, who produce the programme, contacted Tendring District Council (TDC) to get the necessary permissions in place.

Nigel Brown, TDC's Communications and Public Relations Manager, said he was surprised to get the call.

"When they asked if they could film on the beach I thought they were lining up a location for the summer," he said.

"I couldn't believe it when they said they were going to be there on Wednesday afternoon. It just goes to show that Tendring's golden sands are a popular draw all year round."

After filming was completed the crew and cast stayed overnight at the Kingscliff Hotel in Holland-on-Sea.

They booked eight rooms and headed off back to Brentwood after breakfast the next morning.

Stuart Sidgwick, duty manager at the hotel, said it was a shock last minute booking but he was delighted to be able to accommodate them.

"They seemed to enjoy their time in Tendring," he said.

Sarah Candy, TDC's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said that she was delighted the programme had chosen a location in Tendring.

"We all agree that the only way is Essex; we're just pleased that the TOWIE cast have been able to fully appreciate the Essex Sunshine Coast here in Tendring," she said.

10/2/12