Dannii Minogue was "happy" to leave the 'X-Factor' as it was "really crushing" her.

Dannii Minogue

Dannii Minogue

The 48-year-old singer has claimed her three year spell on the ITV singing competition was too much too handle as it began having an impact on her mental health, and she decided stepping down nine years ago was the best call.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Dannii said: "It really got to a point where I was just happy to bow out, and not be part of entertainment anymore, because it was really crushing me and I felt it was just too much.

"But I do think there's also a time where you put your hands up and say 'this is too much' - anxiety, depression, stress - everyone has to put their hands up when it really is too much for them."

The former judge - who was on the panel between 2007 and 2010 - famously fell out with fellow judges Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne.

The rivalry first began when Sharon took some digs at Dannii during a TV interview at the time.

Both stars have written about the clashes in their own books, with Sharon calling the working experience "intolerable".

Writing in 2013's 'Unbreakable', she claimed: "[The drama] was unbelievably bad. Dannii had taken to walking past me in the hallway without even making eye contact. I'd like to say it didn't bother me, but it did."

While in 2010, Dannii also said she struggled to work with her former co-star and claimed the pair fought backstage.

In 'Dannii: My Story', she wrote: "Five minutes before the start of the first live show in my first series of 'The X Factor', I was sitting in my dressing room, shaking and weeping quietly into my hands."

In May earlier this year, Dannii reignited the feud as she speculated why the 67-year-old music manager doesn't seem to be a big fan, insisting she called her an "annoying mosquito".

Dannii claimed: "She didn't like me, she made it very clear. I think [Sharon's dislike of me] was something to do with me being an 'annoying mosquito and I should be squashed.'

"It was a lot more graphic than 'I don't like you.' I still don't really know why."

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