James Argent is set to move to Spain, his friend and former TOWIE co-star Elliott Wright has revealed. Wright also announced he is keeping his Costa del Sol restaurant, Olivia’s La Cala, after previously planning to sell it.
Wright, who owns the establishment in Cala de Mijas near Marbella, said he had decided not to sell following an auction in December. He explained that some bids were not strong enough, while others came with conditions that made selling pointless. The restaurant will reopen on 14 February, with Argent set to take part in events including Sunday lunches.
The move comes after Argent, 38, was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, model Nicole Artursson, in May last year. He was also ordered to complete a gender violence rehabilitation course.
It has been reported that Argent requested to complete the 10-week course online rather than attending in person, and that a Spanish court granted the request. A source said the decision had been made weeks ago but Argent only recently found out, adding that Spain places emphasis on rehabilitation and that Argent is not a resident in the country.
Wright had previously said in October that he was selling the restaurant to return to the UK to be near his older children, Elliott Jr, 18, and Olivia, 16. He has now reversed that decision, saying: “We’re planning a bigger and better 2026 season.”
