TOWIE's Mario And Lucy In Twitter Strop

A new row has erupted between members ofThe Only Way Is Essex after Lucy Mecklenburgh and Mario Falcone took exception to a joke by James Argent.

The pair failed to see the funny side when Arg did a routine at a comedy night in which he quipped that they must be paying people to follow them on Twitter.

Mario inserted his own pun about Arg's weight in his response on Twitter, writing: "Find it funny how larg has stuff to say when I am not there to defend myself.... Strange... I have not 'bought' any twitter followers Neither has Lucy...."

And Lucy added: "I can confirm me & @Mario_Falcone have never bought Twitter followers! Is that actually possible?! Unfortunately mario only got an iPod [for Valentine's Day']!"

But Arg defended himself by writing: "A roasting is a form of comedy where you take the mick out of people and tell jokes."

And he claimed they should "be a good sport and take it on the chin" - adding the hashtag "#Banter".

In other TOWIE news, Jessica Wright has commented on Mario's recent Twitter meltdown.

Speaking to The Mirror, she said: "Unfortunately, people's personal lives are having an effect on their professional lives.

"With Lucy [Mecklenburgh] and Mario, they've been going through a bit of a rough patch. The accusations on TOWIE… whether they're true or not, it's going to get to you.

"It’s a reality show so you're not acting, it's your personal life."

SEE PUBLICITY SHOTS FOR TOWIE SEASON SIX HERE!