Lauren Goodger has revealed the heartbreaking reason she stays in relationships she knows are no good for her.
The former TOWIE star says that being given up by her mother when she was just four has left her with a fear of rejection.
Opening up about her difficult past on Celebs Go Dating , she told agents Anna Williamson and Paul C Brunson, how her mum's actions were still affecting her to this day.
The 32-year-old said: "My family are from East London. When I was four my mum gave me to my dad but kept my older brother and sister. She said she couldn’t cope with three on her own. For me that was heartbreaking."
Paul asked her: "What’s the commonality between your mother and these guys you’ve dated?"
Lauren explained: "I can only think that I’ve been rejected. That’s why I stay in these long relationships when I shouldn’t, and however much they put me through, I still stay there for a long time."
Lauren dated her former reality co-star Mark Wright from the age of 15.
They got engaged on the ITVBe show and went out on and off for 12 years before splitting in 2011.
Before breaking up, she'd had his name tattooed on her bikini line.
She later dated Jake McLean on and off for two years, and got his name tattooed on her wrist.
After they split, Lauren branded the romance "toxic" and said: "I don't mean to sound horrible but I'm relieved it's over."
In 2016, Lauren began a romance with criminal Joey Morrisson, while he was in prison for a string of violent offences.
She defended the relationship during an appearance on Channel 5 show In Therapy, saying: "This is the weirdest relationship ever, but it's exciting and I think that's why I like it. A bad boy never cheats, a bad boy is very loyal. They're strong family men, they've just got a bit of a naughty side to them."
Lauren also had Joey's name tattooed on her, after having Jake's removed.
They were together for two and a half years, with him behind bars for half of the time, before splitting in 2018.
Lauren has since described it as the "biggest mistake" of her life while talking about him on the show.
Speaking to Mirror Online at the Celebs Go Dating press launch, she said: "I feel bad, but what I mean... look, I don't regret anything I've done because I think everything happens for a reason and it makes you who you are, but I think with my job, no one understands being with someone in jail and it was all 'jailbird' and that, it's because I wasted two years.
"That was two years of my potential dating life or whatever, I just wish I hadn't done it that way round and that I'd waited and done what I needed to do then when he come out thought 'What will be will be'.
"But I ended it before he came out because I couldn't wait no more, so I just kind of feel like I wasted two years of my life, that's why."
* Celebs Go Dating airs weeknights at 9pm on E4
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