MTV confirms Conrad's 'Hills' exit

MTV has confirmed speculation that Lauren Conrad has quit The Hills.

Speaking to E! News, producer Liz Gately said that the former Laguna Beach star will be leaving the show at the end of its fifth season.

"It is bittersweet but I understand why Lauren is saying goodbye," she said. "I will be forever grateful for all that she shared with us and incredibly proud of the television we made together."

The 23-year-old had previously hinted at a possible exit when she told Seventeen that she wanted to "walk away from it while it's still a great thing".

According to an unnamed insider, Conrad filmed her final scenes at a Hollywood restaurant with co-star Brody Jenner on Wednesday.

"It filmed out of order so it wasn't like a goodbye scene. But then the entire restaurant stood up and gave her a round of applause and she got tears and [show creator] Adam Devillo gave her flowers," said the source.

Another onlooker added: "There were definitely tears. All around the room. I don't think anyone expected it to be so emotional, but five years is a long time."

The fourth season of the scripted reality series, when began in 2006, currently airs on MTV One.