Jack Tweed's bar damaged in 'suspicious' fire

Jack Tweed's bar damaged in 'suspicious' fire
Jack Tweed's bar damaged in 'suspicious' fire (Image credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

A new bar owned by Jack Tweed, set to feature in reality show The Only Way Is Essex, has had its opening postponed after being damaged in a fire. The blaze happened in the early hours of Saturday morning at Deuces Bar and Lounge in Chigwell, which is co-owned by Mark Wright, one of the stars of the ITV2 show. Just hours earlier, stars of the show including Kirk Norcross and Amy Childs, had attended a Halloween themed pre-launch party at the venue. According to reports firefighters were called to the scene at around 4.50am after a brick was thrown through the window. The bar area is believed to have been damaged as well as some of the lighting, although nobody was injured. Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire and are treating it as "suspicious". "We think it may be a gang that has targeted other bars in the Essex area," a source told The Sun. "We believe it could be part of a gangland territory war." Co-owner Mark Wright added, "I am extremely disappointed. Jack is gutted." The opening of the bar has now been delayed until next week.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.