Lauren Pope struggling after split

'The Only Way is Essex' star Lauren Pope is finding it "tough" after splitting from Kirk Norcross.

The 27-year-old DJ amicably separated from the 23-year-old night club promoter after an eight-month relationship this week - and while Lauren is finding it hard, she knows it would be more difficult if they were still being filmed for the ITV2 show.

She told BANG Showbiz: "I'm coping OK. You have to get on with it really. It's tough, if you didn't get upset over a break-up you would be a bit. I'm not thinking about a new man right now, I'm just concentrating on this.

"To do it a second time round on TV would've been so hard so I'm glad we're not filming at the moment.

"It only happened a couple of days ago so I still don't know what's going on, I'm still getting my head around it."

But Lauren confirmed she will be coming back for the third series of the Essex-based programme, which returns to screens in September, though she is not even thinking about whether she will have a man in her life by then.

Speaking at the National Reality TV Awards, held at London's Proud2 @ The O2 venue on Wednesday, she added: "I can't wait for the third series. It's always so busy when it starts though so I'm making the most of my free time at the moment.

"But I'm not thinking about men at all yet, that's not in my mind right now."