Having revealed she has quit Made In Chelsea, Zara McDermott has shed light on the decision in a new interview.
Speaking to this week’s New! magazine, the 24-year-old admitted she had a ‘turbulent’ time on the show, as her cheating scandal played out on-screen with her boyfriend Sam Thompson.
‘I had a really turbulent series, obviously, and I was so emotional,’ she said. ‘Everyone saw me cry every week. That’s because of the pressure and the anxiety that comes with knowing every single person is going to watch. You’re not dealing with something privately, you’re dealing with a real issue so publicly.’
Having revealed she has quit Made In Chelsea, Zara McDermott has shed light on the decision in a new interview
Insisting it was her decision to quit, Zara, added: ‘Being in Made In Chelsea has given me some incredible opportunities and I will never not be grateful to the show for what it’s given me. I was an Essex girl, so to be able to go on a prestigious show like that was great.’
Zara and Sam’s drama spun from the revelation she cheated on him in the early part of their romance, when she took part on X Factor: Celebrity in 2019.
But she insists she has learnt from her mistakes and allowed herself to forgive her wrongdoings.
‘The biggest thing I’ve learnt is that sometimes you have to be vulnerable and hold your hands up and own your mistakes,’ she said. ‘So many people reached out to me and said, “I’ve made a similar mistake, please don’t beat yourself up. Forgive yourself.”
No more tears: ‘I had a really turbulent series, obviously, and I was so emotional,’ she said. ‘Everyone saw me cry every week. That’s because of the pressure and the anxiety that comes with knowing every single person is going to watch’
Back on track: Speaking to this week’s New! magazine, the 24-year-old admitted she had a ‘turbulent’ time on the show, as her cheating scandal played out on-screen with her boyfriend Sam Thompson
‘That’s the key thing to being able to move on.’
Zara made the announcement that she was stepping away from MIC last week, declaring reality TV is ‘hard on the soul’.
The model revealed she’s steering her focus towards making more documentaries after the release of her BBC revenge porn programme based on her own horrific ordeal.
The influencer – who rose to fame on dating series Love Island in 2018 before starring on the E4 hit – told The Sun’s TV magazine: ‘I’ve left. Sam’s still in. No more reality TV, it’s hard on the soul.
‘No more reality TV for me!’ Zara confirmed she’s quit Made In Chelsea following a 16-month stint
‘I’m bursting with ideas’: The former Love Island star revealed she’s steering her focus towards making more documentaries after the release of her BBC revenge porn programme
‘I would like to do more documentaries. I’m bursting with ideas. I think I surprised myself – I was obviously nervous, a year ago. I enjoyed that gratification of helping people. That’s my goal for this year and next year.’
The media personality’s new documentary sheds light on her two experiences with revenge porn, after explicit images were taken and leaked when she was both 14 and 21.
Zara has been shooting the show for over a year and has been campaigning relentlessly to tighten laws on the crime of image-based sexual abuse, which is the sharing of private, sexual materials of another person without their consent.
On and off: The model was embroiled in drama with boyfriend Sam Thompson on the latest series when she admitted to cheating on him with another man (pictured in her debut in 2019)
First TV appearance: The influencer rose to fame on dating series Love Island in 2018 (pictured) before starring on the E4 hit
Drawing parallels between making the film and her days as a government advisor, the blonde added: ‘I’d come home and feel like I’d helped someone. Every change you make was positive, and that’s something I’ve missed for a few years.’
The TV star insisted she’s now prioritising juggling her work on social media with her fashion career, working with charities and campaigning.
Earlier this week, a source claimed the Essex native wishes she could be allowed to move on with her beau Sam, 28, without being continually reminded of her cheating betrayal.
An insider told OK! Magazine: ‘Zara hates when people bring up the past. She knows it’s hurtful for Sam too and just wishes people would let them move on.
Early beginnings: The blonde was involved in a love triangle with then-boyfriend Adam Collard and Rosie Williams during her time on the ITV2 show
‘Every time she sees a comment about the cheating, it makes her feel sad. It still hurts her to be labelled a cheat.’
While their relationship breakdown was played out on Made In Chelsea, the couple have appeared stronger than ever in recent months.
Former Celebs Go Dating star Sam previously told MailOnline how their brief split ‘humanised’ him.
The younger brother of Louise Thompson said: ‘I believe in forgiveness. I understand the context – and I think in any walk of life you can’t move forward unless you forgive.’
Ordeal: The media personality’s new documentary sheds light on her two experiences with revenge porn, after explicit images were taken and leaked when she was both 14 and 21