The Little Beach Hut Company has been a popular destination for day-trippers all summer, but this week the business on Mersea Island received a high-profile visit from television personality Stacey Solomon.

Stacey rose to fame after finishing third in the X-Factor in 2009, before winning I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2010.

Now she is helping the Little Beach Hut Company its own moment in the sun by visiting the luxury beach huts on Victoria Esplanade with her three young children – Zachary, Leighton and Rex.

Posting on social media, she wrote: “We booked this hut through The Little Beach Hut Company and it was so worth it.

“Just to have somewhere to make a cuppa, lay down for nap time, have somewhere shaded and store everything.”

Louise Foot, from the Little Beach Hut Company, said: “We emailed her PR company, so it all went through them, but having a celebrity is a huge boost for business.

“We will definitely do something like this again in future - it’s been an amazing 24 hours.”

Mrs Foot added following Stacey’s posts on Instagram, the number of follows of their own Instagram account had more than trebled.

“In less than 18 hours have gone from 6,000 Instagram followers, and now we’re on nearly 20,000.”

She added: “We are obviously pleased about the boost it will bring to Mersea as well.”

Earlier this month, TV personality and West End star Denise Van Outen also enjoyed a staycation in Mersea having previously celebrated her birthday at the seaside.