Interview with Tommy Mallet

Entrepreneur and former TOWIE cast member Tommy Mallet has had quite the journey to success. As a child growing up in Islington, London, Tommy struggled with the academic side of school life but, as time has gone by, he has demonstrated that hunger, ambition and determination can overcome the disadvantages imposed by a limited education.

Another early challenge came when Tommy's family relocated from Islington to Essex when he was 14 years old. Tommy initially found it hard to fit in coming, as he did, from a different area. Although part of the reason for moving house had been to remove Tommy and his older brother from situations that threatened to lead them into trouble, their new neighbourhood was still far from privileged and young Tommy often got into fights. When he left school, Tommy found himself without qualifications except for a grade C pass in history, the only subject in which he had taken a real interest.

In search of direction

Despite his issues at school, Tommy did go on to college but dropped out after a few months. A period of unemployment followed, before he bumped into an old friend and was offered work labouring on construction sites. The man who gave Tommy that first employment opportunity became something of a role model. As well as the job, Tommy's employer and his family were supportive and gave Tommy the chance to get back to college and do a carpentry apprenticeship. Working on construction sites at the homes of the wealthy exposed him to the glitz and glamour that accompanied success. Although he had no idea how it would happen, Tommy became convinced that this kind of success was his destiny.

That yearning for bigger, better things grew and grew to such an extent that Tommy found his employment a distraction. Working for someone else was an obstruction that kept him from seeing his own road to fortune, so he quit his job in order to "find himself", thus sacrificing the income and security of regular work. Survival meant selling his carpentry tools, along with most of his other possessions, but Tommy was still no nearer finding a path to his goal.

Connections with friends have been vital elements at every stage in Tommy Mallet's story. One such connection had led to the construction job that first exposed him to the lifestyles of the wealthy and fired his ambition and then, in 2014, his friendship with another cast member led to an offer from ITV's The Only Way is Essex. Tommy was initially dismissive and inclined to refuse the offer but, once again, input from a friend was about to change everything.

The wake-up call

To Tommy's shock, one of his closest friends received a substantial prison sentence: a 14-year sentence meant that his friend could expect to serve seven. Still reeling from the shock, Tommy visited his friend in prison and mentioned the invitation from TOWIE. Tommy's friend, knowing his situation, was not impressed by Tommy's dismissal of the opportunity and issued an ultimatum: either Tommy should join the show or he should not visit his friend again. His reasoning was simple and the words "Do you want to end up in here with me?" provided the motivation Tommy needed.

Tommy joined The Only Way is Essex in 2014 and soon met Georgia Kousoulou, who would become his partner in a lasting relationship that has proved very popular with viewers. The couple left the show in May 2021 to concentrate on becoming parents but their fan following remains as strong as ever.

His time on TOWIE proved a mixed blessing for Tommy. While the show was an undeniable opportunity, it did not elevate him as it had earlier stars such as Joey Essex. The early public obsession with the show had peaked by this time and peripheral income streams such as public appearances didn't materialise for Tommy. While his lot had improved, Tommy didn't see his future success being that of a TV star.

Tommy's first taste of actual business success was with a nightclub he bought into with friends. For a while, the Circuit club in Romford was a great experience. Tommy was earning good money and having fun. Unfortunately, there was some trouble outside the club, which attracted unhelpful attention from the media and the police. Within months, attendance and revenue had both dropped off. Another false start, it seemed.

The product

A conversation with an agent got Tommy thinking in terms of launching a product of his own. He had already decided that footwear was a particular passion of his and he began trying to design a box in which to store his beloved shoes. This soon morphed into the desire to design actual shoes, not just a container for them. But every product needs a unique selling point and there were already countless designer shoe brands in the shops. Another of Tommy's trademark random encounters soon provided the answer.

Tommy admired a pair of shoes he had been given to wear at a photo-shoot and asked the photographer how much they cost. When he was told the price, Tommy was shocked to realise that he couldn't afford a pair of the shoes he was modelling. This was a real lightbulb moment and Tommy decided that he wanted to create something that provided the quality of a £500 pair of shoes at a price that would be affordable for hardworking people who wanted to look good for a night out at the end of a long week. He now had a concept and started sketching out designs.

The next piece of the puzzle to fall into place was Tommy's fortuitous meeting with Evren Ozkarakasli on a night out. When he learned that Evren worked in clothing production, Tommy asked him to get shoe samples made up based on Tommy's design and specifications. Evren delivered the samples and Tommy was elated to see that the result was even better than he'd imagined. The two friends decided to try an initial retail run on a partnership basis and a brand was born.

Bumpy ride

The road wasn't a smooth one at first, but at least Tommy could now see a road! The early days saw Tommy and Evren running around a leaky storage unit trying to prevent rainwater from damaging their stock. Much of the rest of the time was spent wondering why orders were so slow to materialise. Tommy realised that having some celebrity status from a reality TV show could actually work against him as well as in his favour. While his TOWIE fame had provided him with a social media audience he could market his product to, he found some people were resistant to wearing a reality star's name as the branding on their trainers. Early attempts to get the product carried by shops also met with dismissal and, within two years, the company had amassed substantial debts.

Yet another chance meeting, this time with a fellow gym member, resulted in Tommy reluctantly borrowing a book that was all but forced upon him. After struggling with the written format, Tommy got an audiobook version and listened to The Secret by Australian writer Rhonda Byrne. The book is something of a phenomenon: it has sold many millions of copies and has as many critics and detractors as it does devotees, nevertheless, countless readers swear by its message and Tommy found it a great source of renewed focus and determination. Regardless of whether others share Tommy's opinion of the book, it is a fact that the following months saw the ailing young Mallet brand rise like a phoenix.

You have reached your destination…

Mallet London is now an international brand. Tommy's shoes are carried by some of the world's top stores in many countries including the UK, USA, Dubai and South Africa. As for celebrity endorsement, well, having one's product worn by people like Drake, will. i. am, Olly Murs and Craig David really can't do a brand any harm.

Tommy's status as a serious entrepreneur is firmly established and was reflected in his inclusion in the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list of successful and influential young business people. More importantly, Tommy himself is rightfully proud of what he has achieved.

"After launching in 10 countries over the past year, I found the majority of them have never heard of TOWIE. They buy the brand for the style and quality. The show gave me a platform to promote myself in the UK but I don't think it made any impact for me in places like South Africa or Saudi Arabia where the brand is hugely popular."

After that long and very winding road, Tommy Mallet now finds himself in a good place: the place he longed to be when he was a daydreaming labourer on a building site. Tommy, Georgia and young son Brody live in a beautiful house in Essex and, although Tommy still has ambitions to grow his business even further, he is very appreciative of his life and his home.

"As it stands we are happy where we are," Tommy says. "I focus on my life and business daily. Gone are the days when I would try to plan five years ahead: I'm just enjoying the moment." It sounds as if Tommy and Georgia picked the perfect time to start their family.

"Being a parent is amazing," Tommy says. "It's hard work but the most rewarding job on the planet." There are no immediate thoughts of a second baby though. "As it stands, we are just enjoying our first child and putting all our time and energy into that."

Fans followed Georgia's pregnancy eagerly and the couple shared their progress in their own series, Georgia and Tommy: Baby Steps, for ITVBe. The show was a far more intimate production than TOWIE and Georgia especially was keen that it should be raw and honest. Instagram fans were delighted in early 2022 when Tommy confirmed the show's return for a second series.

The couple also shared the news that Tommy had proposed to Georgia while they were on holiday and that she had accepted. As he posted holiday snaps on Instagram, Tommy told fans "Now stop asking me when I'm gonna do it".

Tommy's story may be an extraordinary one but he doesn't think it has to be unparalleled. Tommy sees no reason why other people shouldn't enjoy similar success, even if they have faced their own struggles with education. He knows he is living proof that where there's a will there's a way.

"My advice to anyone with a learning disability is to never treat it as a disadvantage, as nowadays there are so many different apps to assist you with reading and writing. It's not how you read it: it's how much you want it!

"I've proven to myself, after all these years, that with hard work and dedication, the sky really is the limit"

Tommy's plates

For a top entrepreneur and TV personality, Tommy shows remarkable restraint in the cars he owns. He has been more focused on building a secure future for his family than on flashing the trappings of the wealth he has earned. So, no multiple garages full of Italian supercars to be found here.

That's not to say he isn't a fan of nice cars: Tommy says his dream wheels would be a Mercedes-AMG One. For now, however, the cars parked in the Mallet driveway are a Mercedes SLS AMG and a Mercedes-AMG G 63.

Of course, a nice car looks its best when it's finished off with a good private registration and Regtransfers was delighted to supply Tommy's M41 LET plates.

"People like being different," says Tommy, "and private registrations are a great investment at the same time. There aren't many things you can buy and enjoy looking at without losing money on. They also keep cars looking fresh as they become older.

"The team at Regtransfers was amazing. I was always worried about buying a registration plate because I thought it was a tricky process but the team was great from start to finish."