WITH yet another TV show set to portray Essex as the land of fake bake and endless extensions, many are asking: Is it time to end cliched, Towie typecasting?

The new series of “make under” show, Snog Marry Avoid? starts on Monday with an “all about Essex” theme.

New host Ellie Taylor – originally from Basildon – helps to strip a “bimbo poledancer” and “peacocked haired DJ” of make-up and fake assets in the hope of making them classier.

Ellie, 28, then takes to the streets of Chelmsford to ask shoppers if they’d snog, marry or avoid the pair.

The programme plays on parodies of the county, thanks to the success of docu-dramas such as the Only Way is Essex.

Ellie will be seen trying out the “Essex ultra-tan”.

However, the Essex branding is getting a little weary for some.

Daphne Field, of the Essex Women’s Advisory Group, set up to help women broaden their visions, self-worth and belief in the wake of stereotyping of Essex girls, said: “Yawn! What a surprise, another show trying to depict Essex like this. Some people in Essex have fake tans, but so do people in Basingstoke and Newcastle!”

Former Basildon MP, Baroness Angela Smith, said: “It’s tiresome, isn’t it? I wish they’d make programmes to show how Essex people really are. How much they care about their families, how educated and clever many of our residents are. Yes, we want to look nice – it doesn’t mean we spend our days in beauty salons!”

Baroness Smith said she had encountered anti-Essex banter during her political life. She added: “They try it once, then I show them my Essex girl fiesty streak and they back off. It’s usually a joke about white stilletos or my blonde hair.”

Mrs Field said there were so many genuinely inspirational men and women from Essex. She added: “Wouldn’t it be nice to focus on some of these people for once. Who is the most photographed and the world’s most elegant woman at the moment?

“The Duchess of Cambridge and if you look at photos of her, you’d see a lot of the time she’s carrying an Anya Hindmarch handbag.

“Well, Anya is from Essex – her parents still live in Danbury. We’ve so much to celebrate. Unfortunately, TV producers seem to want the world to think of Essex in a certain way.”

Snog Marry Avoid? is on BBC3 at 10.30pm on Monday.