Former TOWIE star Megan McKenna is said to be in talks about signing a major record deal.

The 27-year-old has forged a successful music career since leaving the reality series in 2017, earning plaudits for her self-penned country songs and winning The X Factor: Celebrity on ITV last year.

Following her triumph on the latter show, McKenna had been working on music with Simon Cowell's Syco record label but it has now been shut down following its acquisition by Sony.

"The good thing is that Megan is a songwriter so everything she wrote in Nashville and LA is all her own music, she has no issues there," a source told The Sun.

"Simon said he can call her whenever she wants and will always be at the end of the phone.

"It's a dream situation. Megan's happy as it means she can choose where she wants to go and isn't tied down."

McKenna had been due to support Lionel Richie on the UK leg of his tour before the coronavirus pandemic struck.