Mario Falcone jetted off on holiday during his suspension from 'The Only Way Is Essex'.
Mario Falcone
The star of the ITVBe show has just returned to the programme after his fourth suspension - which he was given for promoting diet pills on social media - and has insisted it was a "punishment" enduring the 30 degree heat in Portugal.
He said: "Yeah I've been suspended four times. All for different reasons - I like to keep it broad. I learned my lesson and accepted my punishment and I had a holiday with my girlfriend. Being in Portugal was really hard. I'm being serious, 30 degrees every day, every cloud has a silver lining.
"But everyone was posting pictures from filming on Instagram and that's the punishment really, feeling like you're missing out. Not much has been said, I've just started filming again. It's all very formal like in any job."
The 27-year-old television personality also insists he's a "career maker," saying girls he dates always end up on TV.
He added to The Sun newspaper: "Oh yeah, I've met loads of girls like that. Jesus Christ, they're all on different shows now, 'Ex On The Beach', 'Big Brother' ...
"I don't watch those shows any more because on every reality show there is someone who I have been on a date with or someone who I have been out with.
"I'm the stepping stone, I'm the career maker - I feel like Simon Cowell."
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