Diags

{{Infobox person

| name = Diags

| birth_name = James Lawrence Bennewith

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|5|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Waltham Forest, Greater London, England

| television = The Only Way Is Essex
Celebrity Ghost Hunt
Celebrity Coach Trip

| occupation = Television personality

| partner =

}}

James Lawrence Bennewith (born 15 May 1991), better known as Diags, is an English television personality. He is the longest serving cast member on the ITVBe reality series The Only Way Is Essex, having appeared in the show on a continuous basis since 2012. He also appeared as a contestant on the fifth series of Celebrity Coach Trip in 2019.

Life and career

Bennewith was born on 15 May 1991 in Waltham Forest, Greater London.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=287694247:1014&d=bmd_1672866285|title=FreeBMD Entry Info|website=www.freebmd.org.uk}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CO44c-1HUTC/|title=The Only Way is Essex on Instagram: "Happy birthday Diags! 🥳 here’s to the big: 3️⃣0️⃣! We ❤️ you @diags_ ! #HappyBirthday #TOWIE"|website=Instagram}} In 2012, Bennewith joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex, and has been appearing regularly since the show's fourth series.{{Cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a561389/the-only-way-is-essex-diags-tom-pearce-deny-quit-reports/|title=TOWIE: Diags, Tom deny quit reports|date=March 31, 2014}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/a486154/towie-stars-we-pull-girls-by-offering-them-parts/|title=TOWIE boys 'pull girls by offering parts'|date=May 31, 2013|website=Digital Spy}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/gay-spy/a519776/towie-tom-pearce-diags-slim-down-and-strip-off-pictures/|title='TOWIE' boys slim down and strip off|date=September 30, 2013}} He gained the nickname "Diags" due to his diagonal smile in photos.{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/the-only-way-is-influx-new-faces-for-season-four-of-towie/|title=The only way is influx - new faces for season four of TOWIE|website=Radio Times}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a636517/towie-picture-recap-diags-and-fran-are-removed-from-the-club-after-spat/|title=TOWIE's not a grass: Diags kicks off|date=March 19, 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://closeronline.co.uk/entertainment/tv-movies/towie-diags/|title=TOWIE’s Diags: his age, transformation, girlfriend and Elma Pazar drama|date=October 27, 2023|website=Closer}} Bennewith ranked 5th in a Digital Spy readers poll to determine the favourite cast member.{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a34271816/best-towie-character/|title=Your favourite ever TOWIE character revealed!|date=October 7, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a636884/towie-photo-preview-georgia-tries-to-get-the-truth-out-of-diags/|title=TOWIE preview: Georgia confronts Diags|date=March 21, 2015|website=Digital Spy}} His time on the show has documented his relationships with Fran Parman and Elma Pazar, as well as his friendship with Chloe Sims.{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a636517/towie-picture-recap-diags-and-fran-are-removed-from-the-club-after-spat/|title=TOWIE's not a grass: Diags kicks off|date=March 19, 2015|website=Digital Spy}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a840148/towie-catch-up-chloe-sims-diags-james-bennewith-friendship/|title=TOWIE fans are loving Diags and Chloe's friendship|date=October 8, 2017|website=Digital Spy}}{{Cite web|url=https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/towie-diags-girlfriend/|title=TOWIE’s Diags breaks silence following explosive Elma Pazar row|date=November 13, 2023|website=Closer}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a867199/towie-suspends-jon-clark-diags-row/|title=TOWIE suspends Jon Clark after row with co-star|date=September 27, 2018|website=Digital Spy}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitalfm.com/news/tv-film/only-way-essex/new-towie-cast-2019-diags-mike-thalassitis/|title=New TOWIE Cast Defended By Co-Star James ‘Diags’ After Backlash: ‘In Light Of Recent Events, Get Some Positivity Out There’|website=amp.capitalfm.com}} Following the departure of mainstay Chloe Sims in 2021, Bennewith became the show's longest serving cast member.{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/towie-cast/|title=The Only Way is Essex cast: Meet all the season 31 stars|website=Radio Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a561389/the-only-way-is-essex-diags-tom-pearce-deny-quit-reports/|title=TOWIE: Diags, Tom deny quit reports|date=March 31, 2014|website=Digital Spy}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/towies-diags-admits-drunken-snogs-30942189|title=TOWIE's Diags admits to 'drunken snogs' with co-star behind love interest's back|first=Eve|last=Macdonald|date=September 14, 2023|website=OK! Magazine}}{{Cite web|url=https://closeronline.co.uk/entertainment/towie/diags-chloe-sims/|title=TOWIE’s Diags reveals why Chloe Sims ‘isn’t happy’ with him following night on the town|date=October 10, 2023|website=Closer}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.essexlive.news/news/celebs-tv/diags-explains-situation-after-towie-7205950|title=Diags explains situation after TOWIE stars removed from plane|first=Arike Idris|last=by Zoe Delaney|date=June 16, 2022|website=Essex Live}} In 2017, he was ranked number 1 on a Digital Spy list of "underwhelming reality television stars".{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a845992/reality-stars-underperforming/|title=7 pointless reality stars who really need to step it up|date=December 22, 2017|website=Digital Spy}}

Bennewith has made various guest appearances on television shows including Sunday Side Up in 2013, Keep It in the Family in 2015 and FHM: The Last of the Lads' Mags in 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a664506/towie-stars-face-keep-it-in-the-familys-dreaded-drop-see-bobby-and-gemma-go-head-to-head-in-this-funny-video/|title=TOWIE on Keep It In The Family: See a funny clip|date=August 20, 2015|website=Digital Spy}}

In 2018, Bennewith appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Ghost Hunt alongside Roxanne Pallett and Georgia Harrison.{{Cite web|url=https://tellymix.co.uk/tv/337966-celebrity-ghost-hunt-returns-host-rylan-clark-neal-celebs-2018-series2-tonight.html|title=Celebrity Ghost Hunt returns with host Rylan Clark-Neal and these celebs|date=September 9, 2018|website=TellyMix}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/roxanne-pallett-celebrity-ghost-hunt_uk_5b9b6eb5e4b046313fb9cdb0|title=Roxanne Pallett Breaks Down In Tears During 'Celebrity Ghost Hunt' Appearance|date=September 14, 2018|website=HuffPost UK}} In 2019, Bennewith was a contestant on the fifth series of Celebrity Coach Trip, alongside The Only Way Is Essex co-star James Argent. The pair were voted off on the penultimate day of the trip.{{Cite web|url=https://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/coach-trip/404366-celebrity-coach-trip-2019-cast-line-up-celebrities.html|title = Celebrity Coach Trip: Meet the line up of celebrities set for the brand new series|date = 18 October 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/tv-movies/james-arg-argent-nasty-celebrity-coach-trip/|title=James 'Arg' Argent branded ‘nasty’ by Celebrity Coach Trip viewers after he furiously lashes out at Brendan|website=amp.heart.co.uk}} In 2020, Bennewith appeared on the BBC dating series Eating with My Ex alongside ex-girlfriend Fran Parman.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07xkqhw|title=BBC Three - Eating with My Ex, Series 2 - Celebrity Specials, Michael Griffiths and Joanna Chiminodes / Diags and Fran Parman|website=BBC}} Outside of television, Bennewith works for his family plumbing business.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ok.co.uk/lifestyle/towie-diags-real-job-career-23064564|title=TOWIE star Diags' job away from the show as he's praised for career|first=Lydia|last=Veljanovski|date=November 25, 2020|website=OK! Magazine}}