Megan McKenna has quit 'The Only Way is Essex'.
Megan McKenna
The 25-year-old beauty has sensationally walked away from ITVBe show and said it has left her emotionally drained, following the breakdown of her relationship with co-star Pete Wicks who she split from amid claims she cheated with her ex-boyfriend Harry Eden.
Thanking the show for their support, Megan said: "I've absolutely loved my time on TOWIE, although this series has been emotionally draining so I need a break from all the drama and lies.
"I'd like to thank everyone at Lime Pictures and ITV for their ongoing support."
However, Megan hasn't closed the door on Essex for good and the star - who recently topped the iTunes chart with her debut country single 'High Heeled Shoes' - insisted she would be prepared to return one day but wants to focys on her music.
She added to The Sun newspaper: "My music is really important to me and I just want to focus as much of my time on that as possible but I'd like to think I might return at some point."
Megan will appear in the next two episodes and a spokesperson for the series confirmed that the door will be left open for her return in the future.
They said: "We have mutually agreed with Megan that it's time for her to take a break from the show but we extend our 'open door policy' should Megan want to return assuming it's relevant for the stories and people we're following at the time."
Meanwhile, the star insisted tha she didn't cheat on Pete with her ex-boyfriend - who she has dated on and off since the beginning of last year, after Pete set tongues wagging earlier this week when it was reported that he had told his friends he felt like a "mug" for standing by the brunette beauty, 25.
And, although it's still early days for Megan and Harry, it's believed they are determined to make a go of things because they have an undeniable bond.
An insider said: "Megan has always had this bond with Harry. It's no surprise she turned to him when things got hard with Pete and now she's single they're seeing how things go before deciding whether to go for a full on relationship."