Just days after James “Arg” Argent gushed about becoming “extremely close” again to childhood sweetheart, Lydia Bright, shock reports emerged that Gemma Collins had reunited with her ex-fiancé, Rami Hawash.
It was claimed Gemma, 40, has secretly been dating Rami, 45, for six months – despite reports that she and Arg had reportedly become “inseparable” following their bitter split last July.
However, an insider tells Closer that, while Gemma and Rami first reconnected a few months back, it’s only been since lockdown restrictions began to lift recently that they’ve been on dates.
A source tells us, “Gemma’s been talking to Rami for a few months, but had still been holding onto hope that she and Arg could work. It’s only in recent weeks when it became clear that’s not happening that she’s pursued something more with Rami.
“As painful as it is, she and Arg are over. He humiliated her with his gushing tribute to Lydia – it was the wake-up call she needed to finally move on.”
Three days before Gemma’s new romance surfaced, Arg, 33, said in an interview, “Me and Lydia are extremely close again – we have kept that low-key behind closed doors. I’m very fond of Lydia. I’m lucky to have her in my life and for us to be such close friends.”
His reveal came after Closer last month told how Gemma had served him with an ultimatum over his newfound friendship with his “first love” after Lydia shared images of him FaceTiming her daughter, Loretta.
Arg also said last week that he’s hoping to date other women who would be “more achievable” when he’s slimmed down following his recent gastric band operation – after reaching 27st during lockdown as a result of swapping his previous addiction to alcohol and drugs for junk food.
He said, “I’ll certainly be a lot more confident meeting new women or having fun and maybe some of the women that might not have been so achievable before, they might be achievable!”
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Meanwhile, Gemma last week hinted at the effect her relationship with Arg has had on her by revealing his addictions had “ripped through [my] family, ripped through [my] friendship groups.”
Their bitter fallout came as a shock to fans as the pair had seemed to be back on. Following another split last summer, they were spotted having dinner together in October. Then, for her 40th in January, he gifted her a bouquet of balloons, and just last month ago when asked if they were “official”, Arg coyly said they were “close”.
However, our source reveals that Gemma’s renewed interest in Rami isn’t purely a game of “tit for tat”.
The insider adds, “There’s been speculation this is simply a case of revenge, but Gemma insists she is smitten with Rami again. She does want to make a real go of it.
“Rami’s been helping her through the drama with Arg and while they had their problems in the past, he’s done a lot of soul-searching and is proving that they could have a future.”
While Arg is excitedly looking forward to life after he slims down, Gemma – who has openly said she’s struggled with her weight – recently announced she’s launching a new fitness empire after shaping up during lockdown and losing 3st.
The source adds, “Gem’s feeling good about herself. She’s in a great place, her weight loss has really boosted her mood and confidence. She won’t take any nonsense from a man any more.”
Gemma and Rami had a turbulent relationship after getting together in 2011, and engaged in 2013. They discussed having a family and wedding quickly, with Gemma saying, “I’m not into long engagements and I’m getting older and would like a baby.”
A year later, they split, with Gemma saying Rami was abusive and that she’d had a “nervous breakdown”, explaining, “He made me feel bad about myself. He’d say I was a fatsie... We would row all the time.”
They briefly reunited in 2017, before she got back with Arg. Rami has since become a father to a three-year-old son.
The source says, “Rami has grown up and is treating Gemma with respect. He loves being a dad and knows how much Gemma wants a baby so she’s been upfront and made it clear she wants to start a family – like they were supposed to seven years ago.”
In 2019, Rami sweetly reflected on their romance and said they would be married with kids if it wasn’t for her feisty alter ego The GC. He said, “If I could have evicted The GC and lived with Gemma Collins, things would have been different. We might have been married with a family now.”
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Despite their plans, therapist Emma Kenny believes Gemma should leave her past where it belongs. She says, “Gemma seems to yo-yo a lot – with her weight and her relationships.
“I think it’s a form of comfort – she finds security in what she already knows, which is why she seems to go backwards rather than moving forward. It’s a pattern, but one she should try to break.
“What is clear, though, is that Gemma and Arg’s weight loss has driven them apart – and in this case back to their exes – rather than brought them closer together. When a person loses weight, they feel good about themselves so they become more confident – but sometimes quite egotistical. With Arg, it seems to have made him think he’ll be able to attract ‘better’ women.
“But Gemma also has more self-esteem now, so she won’t tolerate that kind of behaviour. If Rami is treating her like a princess, why wouldn’t she accept that instead?”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.