Leilani Dowding has quit 'The Real Housewives of Cheshire'.

Leilani Dowding

Leilani Dowding

The 40-year-old model has decided to walk away from the hit TV show, with production shutting down amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A source said: "It's been something Leilani has been thinking of for a while.

"Family is everything to her and especially in this crisis, she knows what's most important to her is spending time with her loved ones."

The brunette beauty - who was a Page 3 star in the 90s - recently became engaged to musician Billy Duffy, and Leilani is apparently eager to spend as much time as possible with her fiance.

The insider shared: "Billy is everything to her so she just wants to support him and be by his side."

The ITV series has been shut down due to the pandemic, and a source revealed that "everyone's really panicking as they haven't filmed the whole series, so loads of the storylines won't have an end or a conclusion".

Speaking to The Sun Online, the source added: "Everyone was really shocked when it happened because the series was far from finished.

"But it's all about the health and safety of the crew and cast. It's just really bad timing as the start date was announced yesterday so it's got to start then!"

ITV has also confirmed the news in a statement.

The broadcaster said: "Monkey and ITV have paused production on series 11 of 'The Real Housewives of Cheshire' as a precautionary measure.

"The health and safety of our cast and crew is our top priority. We are continuing to monitor the situation and are following the latest guidance and advice."