Speaking to the The Mirror, 67-year-old Alan Collins admitted he found it hard to watch his daughter struggle.

The shipping boss said: “It was a very difficult thing for us to watch because it’s so, so personal.

“She was under a lot of stress before she went out, and I think that culminated in what happened when she got there.”

Gemma was involved in an altercation with rumoured boyfriend Alex Moss just a week before entering the jungle, which he father thinks added to the strain of the challenge.

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“Her decision to quit didn’t come as a shock to me at all. I could see the way Gemma was from the moment I saw her on screen. As a parent I just knew.”

“What she went through just before she went to Australia was the reason she struggled. Had she gone out earlier and avoided it there would have been a different outcome.

“Without wanting to be derogatory to the others, I believe Gemma was the only one who seemed to have any personality. She was the star from day one.”

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Gemma has since promised never to return to television following her shocking departure.

The 33-year-old made a name for herself on reality show The Only Way Is Essex, but her tumultuous love life and weight battles have also made headlines.

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