Frankie Essex and her decorator boyfriend John Lyons may have parted ways, but it seems they had quite a turbulent relationship when they were together.

A friend of Frankie's has revealed to The Sun that the reality star often got into "rough" fights with her boyfriend, many of which resulted in police being called to her home.

In one particular incident, Frankie injured John in the neck with a glass while trying to protect herself.

It was "not unusual for them to be rowing," said the insider. "But this was a particularly nasty argument… She never meant to hurt him but he surged towards her and she panicked and tried to push him away. She caught him on the neck with her glass." 

Frankie, who made a shock re-entry to TOWIE in last week's episode, was not charged for the incident.

However it's believed police were called to Frankie's home at least 50 times during her relationship with John, which lasted just over two years.

The pair were known to have a dramatic relationship, but Frankie said in an interview last year that she believed he was the man for her despite everything. "I hope he's the one, I'm not in it for nothing," she said.

Sounds to us like they might be better off apart all the same.