FRANKIE: ‘I’m scared of the gym but I’m determined to get back to a size 8’

Former TOWIE star Frankie Essex tells pals she’s aiming to transform her body in 2019 after an injury ruined her fitness routine last year ❛ SHE WANTS TO LOSE WEIGHT, BUT HAS VOWED TO DO IT SLOWLY AND SENSIBLY ❜

She admitted to Closer last year that she’d gained weight after a hectic schedule and knee injury left her unable to work out.

And while she proudly displayed her size 14 curves in a bikini on holiday in Tenerife last week, Frankie Essex has told pals she’s now keen to get active again and slim back to a slender size 8 in 2019.

A source says, “Frankie struggled to exercise in 2018 and that really affected things. It’s also been Christmas and, like everyone, she enjoyed herself. She has a sweet tooth and loves things like ice cream. Frankie’s told friends she isn’t feeling great about herself, but she doesn’t want to beat herself up. She’s gained around 2st and says she’s determined to get back to a size 8, which is when she feels her most confident and healthy.”

BODY-SHAMED

Frankie, 32, whose figure has yo-yoed over the years, famously shed 2st in just eight weeks in 2016 after developing a love of exercise – and even released a fitness DVD to detail her regime.

But the reality star struggled to maintain her slim new figure and revealed her confidence was seriously knocked a year later while celebrating her 30th birthday in Tenerife when she was cruelly shamed by a fellow holidaymaker.

NERVOUS

And insiders say Frankie’s recent weight gain has made her nervous to go back to the gym – despite her determination to to her former TOWIE co-star Billi Mucklow’s yoga studio in Essex, as she knows that’s great for toning. She wants to lose the weight, but has vowed to do it slowly and sensibly. Friends have told her once she gets started, she’ll soon get back into the swing of things.”

Frankie split from ex-boyfriend John Lyons in 2015, insisting she had been “miserable” throughout the romance and claiming that he was a “feeder”.

Earlier this year, it was revealed she was eager to find love again and hoped dating app Tinder would help her find her perfect match. But pals say she has now turned her back on dating to work on her confidence.

The source says, “Frankie thought she wanted to find someone new, but she’s insisted she needs to be on her own for a while more and learn to love herself again before she lets someone else in.”