Oh how different our favourite New York-based teen drama could have been if Gossip Girl executives had gotten their way.

According to producer David Rapaport, CW, the network that aired Gossip Girl for six seasons of Upper East Side high drama, slick fashion and random hookups, were initially considering Ashley Olsen and Rumer Willis to play the roles of Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen respectively.

Those roles were eventually filled by Leighton Meester and Blake Lively, who anchored the show for its duration and have since gone on to become household names in their own right.

During an interview with BuzzFeed News, Rapaport said: "I think the network initially pitched us Ashley Olsen and Rumer Willis for Blair and Serena.

"I love Rumer, she's grown into quite an amazing actress and person, but that, to me, was based on protecting the investment of a television show where creatively, these lesser-known girls really captured the essence of the show and carried it for six years.”

Just imagine how different our lives could have been? It almost doesn’t bear thinking about.