Brown says it was simply too upsetting to continue filming while her legal battle with her former bestie Dawn remains in the hands of lawyers.
“It was really difficult making the decision to leave, I loved my time on the show, and I never say never about going back, but with things as they are I won’t be going back, it’s just too difficult, It was affecting me and my family," she told Manchester Evening News.
“At the end of the last series it got too hard, it wasn’t fun for me anymore. Stuff outside of the show wasn’t being shown which was frustrating.”
She continued: “Outside of the show I can distance myself to an extent, it’s still going back and forth between lawyers, it’s heartbreaking.”
Leanne said her feud with Dawn was becoming "all consuming" for her and she needed to step back.
“I just couldn’t be in her space, or talk about what she’s saying any more in the show,” she explained. “I had to stand back and I realised the full truth would never get put out there.”
If you may recall, Leanne Brown and former bestie Dawn Ward allegedly have been feuding for the past two seasons due to an unpaid load. As previously reported, Ward and Brown have been feuding over an unpaid £500,000 loan, which played out during Season 5 and 6.
The feud began when Leanne and her ex-Man United hubby Wes lent t£500,000 to interior designer Dawn four years ago. But they were said to be furious that nothing has been repaid and feel she taken advantage of their kindness and has no intention of giving it back, reports The Sun.
The publication claimed that the couple hit Dawn with a legal letter threatening legal action.
“Filming has been really hard because they don’t want to be near each other,” a source close to production told the publication at that time. “They’re even avoiding going to the same events in case they bump into one another. Leanne feels deeply hurt and betrayed, while Dawn is reeling that their rift was splashed all over the national press.”
Despite the drama, Leanne reveals she has no regrets about being part of the show.
“It has given me a platform, and the space to find myself, it wasn’t all bad. But looking back, I can see that doing that show, it’s been such a journey for me from start to finish, moving away from Dawn has allowed me to become who I am and stand on my own two feet. And just be my own person and do my own thing. It has been quite inspiring to me to find how strong I can really be.”
“When I was filming I was becoming a different person - I was getting upset talking about it, and the frustration that the truth was never 100 per cent out there, that’s down to legal reasons and I can’t get away from that.”
Since leaving the show, Leanne has focused her energy in humanitarian work, as she has just returned from Africa with the charity One Woman At A Time.
The charity aims to assist women in gaining education and training - and to have choices about their lives which are often taken away from them. She is now raising funds for the charity with the launch of a T-shirt line with Irlam clothing firm OBD (obdclothing.co.uk) as well as organising her inuagural Empowerment Ball at Gorton Monastery on March 3, reports Manchester Evening News.
“Obviously with regards to leaving the show and coming away from that, I wanted to put my energy into something good. This charity resonated with me so much, it’s about women, it’s about children, I’ve got three girls myself and I want them to be inspired,” said Leanne.
"I want them to know that it isn’t everyone’s reality where we live, the privileges we have, even in this country. It’s important for them to see a different culture and way of life and for them to know how lucky they are, and to see further than Cheshire.”
“Going to Africa last month was a huge eye opener, it was so emotionally draining to see how families get by, the way they live. The girls there are so desperate to be in school because they live in fear of being sold to marriage.”
As well as her charity work, Leanne hasn’t ruled out further TV work - and her dream would be to star in Strictly Come Dancing one day.
Leanne, an original cast member joined the series when the show debuted on ITVBe in 2015, and was part of the series for three years, and a total of six seasons. The show airs two seasons per year.
Will you miss Leanne on RHOCheshire? Sound off in the comment section below!
Photo Credit: ITVBe
