Caroline Flack turned to alcohol after her co-presenting gig on 'The X Factor' last year was branded a flop.

Caroline Flack

Caroline Flack

The 36-year-old star - who has since put herself on a booze ban - hit the bottle heavy during her hosting stint on the last series of the singing show because she felt it was the only thing that helped her deal with the immense stress.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, she said: "I wasn't feeling 100 per cent healthy or 100 per cent happy. I couldn't turn to someone and say 'fix me' - I had to do that myself. I used to turn to wine if I had a stressful day.

"And I acted like it was a treat. But it's not a treat. You're just covering up your stress rather than dealing with it."

The brunette beauty took over the presenting slot with Olly Murs following Dermot O'Leary's departure the year before but throughout the series they were heavily slammed for stuttering as they read their autocues, talking over one another and for creating an awkward atmosphere on stage.

However, although she struggled to brush off the negative comments at the time, Caroline believes she's now developed a thick skin but won't be returning to the show when it hits screens for another series later this year.

She added to the publication: "Not everyone is going to like you so you have to filter it."

Meanwhile, Caroline may have decided to walk away from 'The X Factor' but she certainly isn't short of projects as she's been chosen to present 'Love Island' once again this summer.