Mark Wright, star of The Only Way Is Essex, has announced he is quitting reality TV because of his girlfriend Michelle Keegan. Mark, 26, said his relationship with Coronation Street actress Michelle, 25, is too important to him, and he wouldn't want to jeopardise it by starring in a show like TOWIE again.
After finding fame from his role in the BAFTA-winning Essex show, Mark went on to come second in ITV's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
"I'll never do a show like TOWIE again and I won't ever put my personal life on the line again." he said at Heart FM's Have a Heart Appeal "It could ruin the relationship and it puts a lot of stress on it. The hardest part was putting your personal life out there and I find it hard when people make comments about your relationship. I'm very happy in this relationship. It's going really, really well and that's why I don't want it to be like before – always in the newspapers and talked about by everyone."
Michelle shared Mark's view when she spoke exclusively to HELLO! in October. Speaking about her split from fiancé Max George, Michelle said "The worst part for me was having the whole thing played out so publicly. In the end, I had to simply ignore the gossip and throw myself in my work."