Say what you want about TOWIE (and we know you do, 'cause we've read the comments), the show knows how to churn out some of the countries biggest television personalities. Okay, yes, some disappear into the reality telly abyss never to be heard from again, but others turn into Gemma Collins, Joey Essex, Mark Wright, Amy Childs and even somewhat controversial figures like Ferne McCann.
Again, say what you want about Ferne; no one can argue that hasn't come out of all the ups and downs of showbiz is a reality television powerhouse.
Despite Ferne joining the cast of the iconic ITVBe series way back in 2013 (and leaving in 2016), she is still making headlines candidly discussing about her turbulent time on the show. Most recently, speaking at a Trouble Club talk on Wednesday, Ferne admitted that she found her three years on the show 'savage', 'intense' and 'hard', finding herself reaching out to the show's mental health team for help.
Ferne revealed, 'I was depressed on that show.
'I was showing up as this real b*tchy character, when that wasn't me. I don't like confrontation.
'I was pretending and getting amongst it to get the airtime because I wanted that fame... but I was so down. I would literally just cry.'
The mum of one added, 'It was savage. It was intense. It was really hard.'
Speaking candidly about her mental health struggles on the show, Ferne recalled, 'I remember speaking to the team and the psychiatrist said "Have you thought about antidepressants?"
'Now, I’m not against them - there’s a place for them - but for me, it was like, how is that the first thing?'
She added, 'There was a position called cast liaison and I was like, "These producers, there must have been a module," because I didn't go to university or anything like that. I was like, "there must have been a module where it was like the art of manipulation".
'Because I'd be like, "I'm not doing it. I'm not going in that scene. I'm not saying that!" And they'd be like, "but you're so good at it". And they'd keep you in a room. It's not like that now on TOWIE.'
Ferne explained how this led to seven years of therapy, explaining, 'I was very, very low and dealing with anxiety... and having suicidal thoughts at one stage in my life.
'People had opinions on how I looked, how I spoke, how I behaved,' she said. 'It was like overnight success that I really struggled with.
'That was when trolling really started. That was when I started to struggle with my mental health.'
But after going on an important 'healing journey', Ferne sees herself as a 'changed person'.
She said, '[Therapy] was the best decision that I've ever ever ever made because now I feel like a changed person. I'm so different in the way I approach and handle tough times, good times.'