She’s best known for her explosive meltdowns on Celebrity Big Brother and her fiery relationship with TOWIE co-star Pete Wicks. But since quitting the reality show in 2017 and embarking on a music career, fans have seen a softer side to Megan McKenna.
She was understandably crushed by ex Mike Thalassitis' suicide in March, but has kept a respectful silence on his death. Instead, she’s been ploughing her emotions into her music and claims recording her Story of Me album has been 'like therapy' for her.
Chatting exclusively to heat, Megan explained that she hopes her album shows a 'different' side to her.
"Story of Me [is the most personal song I've written] because it goes back to when I was 16 and my first heartbreak. I think everyone can relate to that. People see this 'Megan from TV,' but listening to my music shows a different me because it’s all coming from my heart.
"That’s why this album has been like therapy for me."
Asked if it's been difficult writing her own material, Megan said: "It’s hard, but I’ve always written things in my diary, and my album is so personal that I’m just reliving my experiences and telling my story."
So, has her country music career opened her up to a whole new audience? "I have more older fans than when I was on reality TV; a lot of fifty-somethings," she explained.
"I get people at my gigs coming up to tell me how I’ve helped them through difficult times when they listen to my music. Because you do listen to songs and compare your life to that, don’t you? It’s lovely that I can do that for people now."
Check out our full interview in this week's issue of heat magazine OUT NOW.
Tickets for Megan’s Story of Me acoustic tour are available here.
BELOW: Check out Megan McKenna's transformation from BGT to today
HEAT Megan Mckenna Transformation stacked
1 of 23Megan Mckenna's first appearance in TOWIE in 2010
We recently spat out our Cheerios in shock when we saw a young Megan pop up on our screens while re-watching TOWIE season one on Netflix. She was auditioning for Jess Wright's band Lola, and even got hit on by Mark Wright himself!
2 of 23Megan McKenna slaying on BGT in 2009
Here's Megan all the way back in 2009, sporting a vastly different look than the now. She auditioned for Britain's Got Talent in a group called Harmony, and even made it to the semi-finals!
3 of 23Megan McKenna in her dating Jordan Davies days in 2013
Here she is in 2015. At the time, she was dating Jordan Davies.
4 of 23Megan McKenna's Ex On The Beach days (2015)
Megan appeared alongside Jordan and Stephen Bear on Ex On The Beach. She got engaged to Jordan, but sadly it just wasn't meant to be.
5 of 23Megan McKenna getting papped in 2015
Here she is a bit later in 2015 on a night out with the Ex On The Beach cast.
6 of 23Megan McKenna on CBB in 2016
Megan appeared on series 17 Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 alongside her ex Jordan Davies, Scotty T, Stephanie Davis and Jeremy McConnell. She got a formal warning about her aggressive behaviour in the house, and became the fourth housemate to be evicted.
7 of 23Megan McKenna on This Morning in 2016
Here's Megan appearing on This Morning shortly after her Celebrity Big Brother stint.
8 of 23Megan McKenna starts TOWIE
Megan joined TOWIE permanently in early 2016. Here she is in the early days.
.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
9 of 23Megan McKenna with Pete Wicks in 2016
Here's Megan and boyfriend Pete Wicks at Jess Wright's Footwear launch in 2016.
10 of 23Megan Mckenna feuding with Pete Wicks in Marbella in 2016
Megan McKenna had a big old row with Pete after he was caught messaging another girl. Conveniently for us, cameras were there to catch the whole thing.
11 of 23Megan McKenna in 2016
Megan at the Pride Of Sports Awards in December 2016.
12 of 23Megan McKenna in 2017
Here she is looking gawj at the NTAs in January 2017.
13 of 23Megan McKenna in 2017
At the This Morning studios in 2017.
14 of 23High Heeled Shoes Megan Mckenna (2017)
Here's Megan in her video for High Heeled Shoes, which is probably the best song ever written.
15 of 23Megan McKenna on holiday with Mike Thalassitis (2018)
Megan got together with Mike in late 2017, and they frequently went on uh-mazing holidays together.
16 of 23Megan McKenna on holiday with Mike pt 2 (2018)
Here's another pic of her in Barbados (we're guessing Mike took the picture).
17 of 23Megan McKenna (2018)
Here's our gal Megan in the present day, looking vastly different from her 2009 BGT vibe.
18 of 23Megan McKenna (April 2018)
Sadly, Megan and Mike parted ways in April 2018, deleting all traces of each other from their Instagram profiles. But doesn't she look so upbeat and cheery coming out of an interview with heat Radio? Well, we ARE broken heart-menders, after all.
19 of 23Megan McKenna (July 2018)
Megan appeared to let her hair darken back to its original colour following her split from Mike, and looked chic as HELL in this orange suit. She also released her autobiography, Mouthy, in July 2018 - the same time that she and Mike confirmed the split.Megan said on Good Morning Britain, "It's pretty awkward, I do think everything happens for a reason, I've been away, I've cleared my head, I'm very busy I'm doing my music. I'm working on an album. I just feel like everything does happen for a reason, the path I'm going on right now. I've done some things that haven't been too good, some things have been better."
20 of 23Megan McKenna (October 2018)
Megan went back to a more beachy blonde look in October 2018 - right around the time that she and Mike were rumoured to be back on. A fan spotted them on holiday trying to work things out in Dubai - but it didn't exactly work out.
21 of 23Megan McKenna (November 2018)
Megs went even more full-on blonde during her stint on Celebs Go Dating at the end of 2018... With her ex-boyfriend, Pete Wicks, also starring on the show. AWKS.
22 of 23Megan McKenna (April 2019)
Megan went even blonder in April 2019. She looks stunning in a top knot!
23 of 23Megan McKenna (June 2019)
She stuck with the top knot for a performance at The Globe in Cardiff in June 2019 - one month before she was rumoured to be dating ex-con Zack Gilbert, after a source close to the star said in July 2019, "Megan and Zack have been dating for a good few months but have got serious in the last three".
If you’re a sucker for the Spice Girls and love a bit of One Direction, you need heat Radio in your life.
We’re online at heatradio.com. You can still get us on the free app on your Android, iPhone or tablet. Tune in on Freeview channel 716 on the telly or get us on your smart speaker by asking it to "play heat radio."