Towie star and businessman dies aged 57

Former The Only Way Is Essex star Mick Norcross has died at the age of 57.

The businessman and father of Kirk Norcross, who also appeared in the ITV show, was found dead at his home in Bulphan at 15:15 GMT on Thursday.

Essex Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious.

In tributes on social media, fellow Towie stars past and present, including Gemma Collins and James “Arg” Argent, called him “one of the good guys” and a “true gentleman”.

Norcross first appeared in the reality show in 2011 in his position as owner of Sugar Hut, a Brentwood nightclub which was often attended by the cast.

He left the show two years later, stating that the venue’s prominent place in Towie had damaged its brand.

The star posted a tweet to his 505,000 followers on Thursday morning saying: “At the end remind yourself that you did the best you could. And that’s good enough.”

The club tweeted that “Mr Sugarhut” had been a “very talented, friendly and fun guy” and a “true Essex legend, who will be sorely missed”.

Collins, who briefly dated Norcross during their time on the show, shared a photo of them together on Instagram and said he had been “one of the good guys”, while Argent tweeted that he had been “a true gentleman and a very kind man”.

Tributes were also shared by Towie stars Lauren Goodger and Mario Falcone, with the latter tweeting that he was “thankful I got the privilege of having you in my life”.

Presenter Denise Van Outen tweeted that he was “such a lovely man” while TV chef James Martin, posted that he was “a true gentleman, who I had the pleasure to meet and spend evenings with over the years”.

The Only Way Is Essex posted a tribute on Instagram, saying the team behind the show were “shocked and deeply saddened”.

They said: “He was hugely popular with cast, crew and the audience alike. Charming, generous and host to many of Essex’s most glamorous events, Mick will be missed by us all.”

An Essex Police spokesman said officers “were called to an address in Brentwood Road, Bulphan shortly before 15:15 on Thursday” and “sadly, a man inside was pronounced dead”.

The police spokesman said the death was “not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner”.

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