She found fame on TOWIE but Megan McKenna has admitted she hasn’t always been proud of where she is from.
The 25-year-old revealed on today’s Good Morning Britain that she was once mocked for her strong accent – and as a result she tried to change it.
She told presenters Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid: “I grew up at a theatre school in West London and I was the odd one out. They would say I sound chavvy and I’d say ‘I can’t help where I grew up’.
“I did have elocution lessons but I thought, ‘this isn’t me’.”
Now she said she finally feels proud of her accent.
She said: “Look at Adele, she’s not posh and she’s smashing it, she’s global. Why change yourself? I am going to stay as me.”
Megan has recently been enjoying success as a country singer and has been outselling Taylor Swift and Pink on iTunes with her single High Heeled Shoes.
She’s been making a name for herself in the U.S after performing in Nashville, where people have no idea about her reality TV roots.
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They also have no idea where Essex is, and have been a little baffled by her accent when she talks.
She said: “When I start speaking they’d like, ‘ooh, she’s not from here.’ They weren’t sure about my accent and would ask ‘are you from Australia?’ They had no idea where Essex was.”
She added that it’s “refreshing” that noone knows who she is in America.
Megan said he loved her time as a reality TV star but she’s delighted her singing career is now taking off as it has always been her dream.
In the past she has performed on Britain’s Got Talent and auditioned for The X Factor but it was TOWIE that finally gave her the boost she needed.
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She wowed viewers when she sang on a Christmas special and now she’s finally pursuing her love of music full-time.
She’s going on tour across the UK in December and some dates have already sold out.