Former The Only Way Is Essex ‘star’, Lauren Goodger has revealed the true reasons why she quit the award-winning ­ITV2 reality show.

Lauren, who sensationally(?) quit the show during the series finale on Wednesday night (ever so slightly stealing Lucy Mecklenbugh’s 21st birthday limelight), has bared all in a tell-all interview with the Sunday Mirror, explaining her decision to quit was due mainly to a torrent of abuse from Twitter trolls, and a jealousy over her prettier, skinnier co-stars.

Speaking of the Twitter trolls, Goodger, who split with her former co-star boyfriend, Tom Pearce, last week, admitted that the abuse, mixed with her never-ending feeling of loss after being dumped by ex-fiancée, Mark Wright, had left her weeping uncontrollably at times.

However, now the tanning salon owner has said she finally feels good about herself, and has decided to stay out of the celebrity spotlight (well, when Dancing On Ice has finished, anyway – read more here), commenting to the newspaper: “I felt under so much pressure,” she says. “Most of the girls on TOWIE are quite skinny and could wear what the hell they wanted.

“We all had different body shapes, and I’m not being horrible, but I don’t like boob jobs or even want to be really thin. I just want to keep my curves and be a little more toned. But, next to the others, I’d be panicking over whether my arms looked fat or how big I’d look if I was sitting down.

“I’d even beg producers to let me sit at a table so I could hide my legs underneath.”

According to the reality ‘star’, whilst she went through real torment at the hands of internet trolls, she feels she managed to keep a lid on her insecurities on screen, and maintain an air of dignity:

“They would poke fun at me about my weight because they know that’s my weak spot,” says Lauren. “They’ve called me everything from a beached whale to a fat c***.

“Deep down, I know they are just bullies but at times it has been unbearable. It doesn’t help that I feel everyone’s trying to punish me by using the most unflattering shots of me. It ­became a misery.

“There have been moments when I cried. I saw horrible pictures of myself on websites and the nasty comments people posted and it got me ­terribly down. What can I say? I’m ­insecure… and I need a break.”

“My weight fluctuates between a 12 and a 10. I go up and down all the time like any girl.

“At the end of the day I’m a reality TV star – not a catwalk model. But the insults are not nice… and it doesn’t help when I don’t feel great about myself either. I’m meant to be in Marbella this weekend but I couldn’t bear the thought of being papped in a bikini.

“My problem is I can’t resist going out for dinner and I love bread and butter. It’s the carbs that make me pile on the pounds.”

Lauren reckons she needs to stop going out as much too – and cut down on boozing. “I eat more when I’ve got a ­hangover,” she says. “I’ve cut down on wine and I force myself to drink vodka, soda and lime, even though I don’t like it. It’s less calories.” It’s a dilemma most women across Britain suffer at some stage but for Lauren, being on screen made it tougher. “I’d like to lose a stone and a half and fit into my skinny jeans again,” she says.

“When I do, I’ll feel amazing. I don’t want to be freaking out about my body when I go into changing rooms. I don’t want to see myself on the show and feel massive.

“I can lose the weight as I’ve done it before and perhaps being away from the limelight for a bit may help.

“I went to boot camp in Marbella a few months ago and lost 6lbs in three days. I know I can do it again. I’m going back on the Cambridge Diet.”

On the subject of Tom Pearce, she commented: “He’s a lovely boy but I maybe need someone a bit older and more on my wavelength.”

And Mark Wight?  “It was always me and Mark. I felt safe and when he left TOWIE and we broke up I was on my own. We just weren’t strong enough as a couple to survive the show. We weren’t ready to get engaged.

“We had to deal with a lot, from all the cheating rumours to people who were saying that our ­relationship was fake. But I want to set the record straight. It was real and I couldn’t fake those ­emotions. I’m not an actress.”

According to Lauren, she and Mark were speaking up until about a month ago, but stopped because of Tom, she believes!

“I think he was a little bit jealous but on the other hand he was happy for me,” she says.

“Mark will always be the love of my life but I think I have to take each day as it comes.”

Lauren, who was one of the original TOWIE cast members left, admitted how hard it was to make the decision to leave. “I’ve been tempted to quit loads of times, especially during the first series,” she says. “I ­really questioned whether I could stick it out. But I did and I have no regrets. It was a dream come true to open my own salon, Lauren’s Way, and I’ve just designed my own range of jewellery.

“So many incredible things have happened and I’m leaving now because series six was spectacular. I built bridges with all the people I had rowed with and I wanted to leave when things were good.”

However, despite the very clear and blatant rules about former cast quitter’s ban on returning to the show, Lauren says she has not ruled out a return, and is already planning a cameo:

“It’s nice that the option is there to go back. It’s scary leaving the show that made me who I am today, but life is about taking risks. It just feels like the right time to take some time out and ­concentrate on being me again.”

And the rumours about Dancing On Ice? “I’m looking forward to new challenges but nothing’s confirmed yet,” she says.

First she’s planning on writing a book but insists it won’t be a typical tell-all autobiography.

“It would be more of a guide to Lauren’s world,” she says. “Battling with my weight, being curvy and confident… and dealing with my ­relationship ­problems.”  (Sounds like an autobiography to us!)