Only Way is Essex star Gemma Collins has quit the I'm A Celebrity... jungle.

Collins has been struggling to cope with life on the reality show in Australia saying at one point: "People who murder get treated better than this.

"That's the truth. Even a murderer gets fed three times a day."

She also dubiously diagnosed herself with malaria after some disturbing bowel movements, declaring: "It's bright yellow, it's fluorescent,"

A spokesman for the show said today: "We're sorry to see Gemma go but respect her decision and wish her well."

Collins, 33, lasted just three days in the jungle after she and the other contestants entered the camp on Sunday.

But there were alarm bells that she might not last the course before she even entered the jungle.

Her woes began after she and fellow contestants actress Vicki Michelle and former World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty were taken by a red Ferrari to a luxury villa in New South Wales before they were sent to the camp.

The trio were then taken straight to a "jungle jail" by helicopter, but Collins suffered a panic attack just before it took off.

She clambered out, pleading: "Can you stop a minute, please, I'm serious, just stop, I need to get out, seriously I'm going to be sick, I can't do it, no way."

Once out of the helicopter, she explained: "I got into the chopper and suddenly felt very scared but thought I can't show anyone I'm scared, but I cried like a baby and I don't think I'm going to be able to do this jungle lark."

After making the journey by foot, she discovered the celebrity slammer was a small area in the jungle with prison-style bars and no beds.

Collins's departure has already raised a few eyebrows on Twitter.

One user, Alan March, wrote: "Gemma Collins has quit the I'm a Celebrity Jungle. And in other news, Bags of peanuts may contain traces of nuts."

Jaiye Akinosho tweeted: "How can Gemma quit I'm a celebrity, people starve across the world and she's lasted 48 hours on a low quantity of food. What a clapped fish."

Collins, who has starred in The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) since 2011, also appeared in the reality show Splash! earlier this year but was eliminated in the first heat.