Lauren Goodger sparks suggestions she is dating convicted drug dealer with regular jail visits

"They look every bit like a couple and that’s what everyone in the prison thinks is going on.”

Lauren previously dated her former Towie co-star Mark Wright, who is now married to Our Girl star Michelle Keegan.

She then found love with Jack McLean and the pair have been dating since 2012.

Joey has 24 months of his jail sentence left to serve after being put behind bars in December, 2009.

Joey, 30, and Marvin Jacobs were charged and found guilty of a variety of offences, including drugs, in 2010.

Meanwhile, Lauren is juggling the prison visits with intense workouts after admitting she wants to get in shape ahead of Towie's new series.

The brunette has vowed to slim down before her return to Towie, having quit the ITV show in 2012 after appearing in 63 episodes.

Earlier this year she revealed she’d shed a whopping four stone and released a fitness DVD, but she soon gained back much of the weight.

In her column for New! magazine, the reality star wrote: "They say you should stick a picture of someone who is your body idol on your fridge — my DVD is mine!

"My goal is to continue losing weight ready for when I start filming TOWIE, and I think I'm going to do it. The camera adds 10lbs so I want to look and feel my best."

Meanwhile a source close to Joey insisted gym bunny Lauren and Joey were just good friends.

He told us they had got to know each other while Joey was living in Chigwell.

He said: "That's his friend - he's not in a relationship with her.

"She just visits and sees him as his friend."

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