Leanne Brown talks bitching and backstage feuds after quitting The Real Housewives of Cheshire
THE Real Housewives Of Cheshire’s Leanne Brown has lifted the lid on the hell she endured on the show – saying her memories still spark anxiety.
Leanne — the wife of footballer Wes Brown — quit the ITV reality programme last year after a vicious feud with fellow wag Dawn Ward grew too toxic to bear.
She was also at the centre of a row with Stacey Forsey, who was caught sniping that she was just a “social friend” after the pair became pals.
Now the 40-year-old mum-of-three says she can’t even watch her former castmates without feeling anxious about the poisonous atmosphere created by their bitchiness.
Leanne’s decision to leave after six explosive series came after months of unhappiness.
But today she is in a “much better place” now that she is concentrating on her charity projects.
She exclusively told The Sun on Sunday: “I don’t regret being on the show because there were fun times. But when it stops being fun you have to look after yourself.
“That’s what I did. I was in a pretty bad place and I’d had enough. There’s only so much frustration and drama someone can take. When that drama is only part of your life, you can put it to one side. But having to live through it every single day consumed me, it consumed my whole brain.
“Having to be around Dawn just got too difficult. She manages to manipulate everybody.
“The arguments can be toxic and I still get anxiety when I watch the show, even though I’m not on it any more. It’s just not nice. You always have to be mindful of what you say because, if you try to play a game, in the end you’ll lose.
“I stand by everything I said on the show. But the majority of the girls are in it for themselves, they have a game plan. Hurtful as it is, only a few of them were really my friends. I’m far happier now I’m spending more time with my family and my real friends.
“Looking back, I just think how irrelevant and petty all the drama was.”
We revealed in February 2017 that Leanne and Wes, 38, had called in lawyers over a £500,000 loan that Dawn, 44, and husband Ashley, 47, had allegedly not repaid. Their teams are still arguing about the issue.
ITV producers were unable to mention the raging dispute, but the row loomed large over the past series. Leanne said: “Because of the legal situation, the truth about Dawn and I couldn’t be told, and people ended up not understanding the extent of what had happened, which was frustrating.
“I don’t want to give her the satisfaction of saying nasty things about her because she is pretty irrelevant in my life now. I don’t have to be around her or think about her, so I don’t.
“She may think she’s top dog but in my eyes it just means she has further to fall, and I believe in karma. Our clash at the reunion was the breaking point for me. I was so riled up that it wasn’t good for me to continue with the show.
“What do I think of the other girls? Stacey and I have had our differences. I was very hurt when I found out she had called me a social friend. But once I knew, I stepped away and that was that. I don’t believe in going backwards.”
Stacey is at the heart of more drama in the current series of The Real Housewives Of Cheshire.
In last week’s episode she accidentally sent Ester Dee a toxic voicemail message. She was heard telling Seema Malhotra they should use Ester as “ammunition” for friendship “warfare”.
Leanne said: “What she said was very bad. But I’m assuming they’ve moved on now as that would have been filmed weeks ago. I don’t think they’ll ever be real friends though.
“I haven’t spoken to her or Seema since I left. Tanya (Bardsley) is amazing and one of my closest friends. I love her to bits, and Ester is a friend too. I’ve seen Lauren Simon briefly and I bump into Rachel Lugo sometimes. But the rest of the girls I don’t really see or speak to.”
Leanne’s exit was a huge blow to bosses and viewers. But she is adamant she has made the right decision.She has thrown herself into working with the charity One Woman At A Time, which supports under-privileged girls in Kenya and Nairobi.
Leanne, who has daughters Halle, Lilia and Lola with former Manchester United defender Wes, said: “When I left the show I wanted to put my energies into something good. I’ve been involved with One Woman At A Time since it became an official charity last August.
“It is a cause that really resonates with me. As a mother of three girls, you can’t help but think about the situations they might have found themselves in if they had been born into a different culture. Thinking about that horrifies me, and that’s why I want to help some of these girls.
“The charity supports girls who say no to child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), but are abandoned because of that. We help them to get an education so they can earn their own money and be independent.”
Leanne went to Africa and visited a village near Eldoret, in Kenya, in January to meet girls now benefiting from the cause.Talking about what was a “humbling” experience, she said: “Going out to Africa was the biggest reality check for me.
“Obviously we live very privileged lives, especially in the bubble of Cheshire. These people don’t have electricity or running water, even in hospitals. I met Jennifer, who lives in a mud hut and doesn’t have any shoes. I gave her my flip flops so she had something to walk in.
“Some other young girls at a local school put on a show and dance for us about resisting FGM. It was incredible to see all of these girls standing together.The whole experience was tough, but amazing. I’m so grateful I had the chance to do it. It has made me so much more passionate about the charity.
“It also makes me think that the way some people carry on back in Cheshire — with no idea of what’s going on in the world outside — is really heartbreaking. Maybe others need a reality check.”
Leanne is doing a sponsored walk of Morecambe Bay, Lancs, on May 5 to help support the charity, founded by retired midwife Jean Anderson.
She is also writing a book and launching a YouTube channel.
She said: “The Real Housewives was a great platform for me, and I won’t say I’m sorry I did it. But I’m so much happier now I’ve left it behind me.
“And I’m excited about all the great opportunities that lie ahead.”
- To find out more about One Woman At A Time or donate visit . For more on the Morecambe Bay walk visit: