Reality star Ferne McCann has apologised to acid attack victim Sophie Hall and said she does not “believe her to be ugly or stupid” in a statement addressing alleged voice messages leaked on social media.

A former The Only Way Is Essex star, McCann also took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015 and went on to appear in her own First Time Mum show on ITVBe.

In the past few weeks, voice notes featuring a woman’s voice have been leaked anonymously.

One allegedly featured derogatory comments about Ms Hall, who was among those injured when the reality star’s ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins sprayed acid in a nightclub in east London in 2017.

Now, McCann has shared a statement on Instagram saying released voice messages have been “manipulated” and “taken out of context”. She also said she wanted to apologise “to all the victims” of Collins’ “abhorrent actions” and that Ms Hall had been “brave beyond belief”.

She wrote: “I am aware that people will have a number of questions about the voice messages being put into the public domain and purportedly sent by me. I feel I have no choice but to address these (to the extent that I can as there are restrictions on me which I explain below).

“Most importantly I want to apologise to all the victims of Arthur Collins abhorrent actions in 2017 that they have to relive that night and the pain that followed because this matter is again in the public domain. In particular I want to apologise to Sophie Hall. I do not believe her to be ugly or stupid. She has been brave beyond belief.”

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McCann went on to say that she is not “trying to portray” herself as a victim and reiterated that she is restricted in what she can say publicly due to “important and significant legal proceedings”.

She continued: “What I can say is that the voice messages that are being released are manipulated; edited and taken entirely out of context. Even so, I will have said things that are untrue and I did not believe – but I did so to protect my family and myself from serious harm and in the face of significant threats.”

ITV is not currently filming a new series of Ferne McCann: First Time Mum but is in contact with the star and offering support, according to a source.

Collins was sentenced to 20 years in jail and five on licence in December 2017, after being found guilty following a trial.

At least 22 people reported injuries after the attack, with 14 the subject of the charges against him.

During the trial, Ms Hall told the court: “I fell off the back of my chair backwards from the pain from my face.

“I was in terrible pain. I couldn’t see properly. I was crying. I was sat on the floor for what felt like an eternity.”

Collins had admitted throwing the bottle of fluid over clubbers but said he thought it was a date rape drug which he had snatched from two men.

However, the jury rejected his claims and Judge Noel Lucas described it as “a deliberate and calculated attack”.

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