Gemma Collins was one of the longest-serving and best-loved members of the cast of The Only Way Is Essex, so there was much sadness when she announced she was quitting.

Now the 34-year-old has revealed the reasons she decided to call it a day - and they're not very pleasant.

Confessing that being in the public eye filled her with anxiety, she told the Daily Star: "I used to be in bits before filming or going out. My guts were in bits and I was never off the toilet."

And she explained that she was sick of the hassle she was getting on social media whenever she had a beef with somebody else on the ITV2 show.

"To be honest all the abuse on social media was a big reason," she admitted. "People think I'm tough as nails but I'm soft as s**t at the end of the day.

"I understand I came across as a b**ch the way it was edited but I didn't deserve all the abuse."

Quite.