He’s been enjoying some sun in Marbella after dealing with an explosive split from his ex Gemma Collins.
And James Argent, 32, appeared to be in good spirits as he larked around on a Spanish beach and enjoyed an ice cream over the weekend.
The TOWIE star even took a dip in the sea during the outing and appeared completely unfazed by the possibility of having to quarantine for two weeks on his return to the UK after the government pulled its air bridge with Spain.
On his holidays: James Argent, 32, appeared to be in good spirits as he larked around on the beach in Marbella on Saturday after jetting off to Spain following his explosive split from Gemma Collins
Arg, who has not had the easiest of years after going to a rehab facility in Thailand where he kicked his cocaine habit and lost five-stone, looked cheerful as he hit the beach in a pair of red swimming shorts and white sliders.
He was seen joking with his pals as he soaked up the sunshine and concentrating hard as he played a game of tennis while in the sea.
The musician put on an animated display as he stepped out of the stunning blue water, clearly shocked at the change in temperatures.
After all the excitement, Arg laid back and relaxed for a while on a sun lounger and indulged in an ice cream to cool down in the Spanish heat.
Snack break: The TOWIE star took a break from all the larking around in the water to enjoy a cool ice cream on his lounger
Refreshing: He showed no signs of being bothered about having to isolate for 14 days on a return to the UK after the government pulled the air bridge with Spain during the beach trip
Moped-lover Arg was also seen donning a black T-shirt as he took a white bike for a spin around Marbella town during his day out.
The trip comes after Arg and his ex Gemma Collins explosively split earlier in July when she revealed messages between them where James called her a ‘hippo’ and a ‘fat f**k’, after she suggested that he had bought another woman dinner and not her.
The series of texts began with Gemma saying: ‘What man pays for another woman!!!’, while Arg responded by saying: ‘Insensitive.’
Clearly riled, the blonde said: ‘And the woman that saved your life has to pay for herself!!!’ Her next message was masked, but her now-ex responded: ‘You are supposed to be treating me you hippo.’
Living it up: Arg has been in Spain for the past week visiting his pal Elliott Wright’s bar
Hitting the beach: He donned red swimming shorts with a pair of white sliders for the trip and also carried a black t-shirt
All smiles: It’s been a tough year of Arg but he appeared to be relaxed and enjoying himself while at the beach on Saturday
Moments later, Gemma uploaded another series of messages, where he sent her a plane emoji in reply to a picture of flight details.
‘I’ll take a mate, I’m not booking it. You said you would be a gentleman!’, she penned, before he shockingly said: ‘YOU FAT F**K. IVE JUST LOST ANOTHER 2000’ (sic). He didn’t refer to what he had lost 2000 of.
The self-proclaimed diva has decided to take some time off social media, citing that she was ‘devastated’ and ‘heartbroken’ by the exchange.
However after returning to the UK from her own Tenerife getaway, Gemma apologised to her former beau for releasing the messages.
In a screenshot obtained by MailOnline, the Diva On Lockdown star contacted her fellow reality star in the early hours of the morning.
Game time: During his time in the water, Arg had a game of tennis with his pal
Relaxing: The TV star checked his phone as he walked around Marbella with a pal
Working on his tan: Arg laid back on his sun lounger for a spot of sunbathing during the beach trip
Taking a dip: Arg even had a swim in the bright blue waters inbetween eating ice creams and playing games
She wrote: ‘I am sorry about putting the messages up, I was just so hurt you suggested an open relationship, it didn’t look like a joke when you typed it.
‘I was so upset but I shouldn’t have put the messages up, that was anger on my part which was wrong. I am so sorry about that x.’ (sic)
It’s been a tough year for Arg, with him recently admitting that he is a cocaine addict and that he had overdosed twice last year before hitting rock bottom over Christmas and calling his friend and former co-star Mark Wright for help.
He checked himself into a 10-week bootcamp at The River rehab facility in Thailand earlier this year where he kicked his habit and lost five stone in the process.
Yum: He appeared to be enjoying the ice cream as he reclined on the lounger with one arm in the air
Going for it: Arg appeared to get a bit of ice cream onto his chin as he tucked into the tasty treat
Chatting away: Arg accessorised his beach ensemble with a gold chain necklace and complementary bracelet
Lovely job: Arg concentrated hard as he tried his hand at tennis in the water
However, he still intends to lose another three stone and is already feeling ‘so much better in myself’.
The reality star now weighs roughly 18-and-a-half stone and blames his heaviness on his binge-eating disorder. He has previously spoken about the ‘vicious cycles’ of binge-eating and doing cocaine.
Speaking to The Sun, Arg, admitted he suffered two near-fatal overdoses at his home last year, and his now ex- girlfriend Gemma Collins called emergency services after his family feared he was dead.
Speaking about his first overdose in October which triggered paranoia and psychosis, Arg said: ‘I locked myself in my house and took drugs for three days straight on my own in the pitch black.’
Adding that he regularly spent £500 a week on his cocaine habit, Arg said of his first overdose: ‘I was at rock bottom. My heart was beating out of my chest, my nose was bleeding, I was shaking and my breathing was terrible.
Tough times: Arg recently broke up with his ex Gemma Collins, with her sharing angry messages between them on social media
Tucking in: Arg closed his eyes as he enjoyed his ice cream at the beach
Lean back: He appeared to be very impressed with his ice cream, closing his eyes to protect them from the sun
Drying off: After taking a dip in the water, Arg donned a black t-shirt and wrapped a towel around him
Time to dry off: After swimming for a while, Arg made his way back across the sand to his towel
‘My family were banging on the door screaming, ‘Open up’ but I wasn’t answering the door to anyone. They feared I’d overdosed and was dead in the house.’
It was Gemma who called the emergency services who forced the door. After tests it was agreed Arg did not need to go to hospital and could stay with his parents, but just two months later he overdosed again on the night before his 32nd birthday, as he admitted ‘my addiction was so bad I couldn’t stop myself.’
The second time he was hospitalised over fears for his heart, with Arg revealing that his worried friends took his phone away while he was in hospital in case he called his dealers.
Off he goes: Motorcycle-loved Arg, who is often seen riding his own at home, jumped onto a white Vespa during the afternoon
Heading out: Arg jumped onto a moped during the trip, donning a white helmet
It was after he found himself alone on Christmas Day 2019 and using cocaine that he decided things had to change, calling Mark Wright for help.
Mark got his friend in touch with the owners of a Thailand boot camp, with Arg travelling there on New Year’s Eve, staying for ten weeks. He now attends an out patient facility near his Essex home regularly.
Arg also explained during the interview that he first dabbled in drugs when he first shot to fame with Mark in TOWIE, but his loved ones only found out he had a problem when he was declared missing in 2014, after failing to turn up for a flight to Majorca for a paid appearance.
‘You hippo’: In the same exchange that led to their breakup, Gemma described herself as the ‘woman that saved your life,’ a reference to being there for James during his toughest times (left). She later sent an apology message (right) to Arg