They’ve endured countless splits throughout their rocky eight-year romance, which has arguably made them the most on/off reality TV couple in showbiz.

But their relationship appeared stronger than ever last week, as a love-sick James “Arg” Argent, 32 – who recently returned from his latest rehab stint in Thailand, showing off his weight loss after a lifestyle overhaul – confessed he was pining for Gemma Collins, 39, as they isolate in separate homes.

Proudly referencing her latest ITVBe show Diva On Lockdown, Arg posted a photo on Instagram of them snogging in Paris, writing alongside, “Lockdown absolutely sucks without you GC but I understand you have to entertain the nation and put a smile on people’s faces at this difficult time! #imissyou”, adding a broken-heart emoji.

It is the latest in a spate of gushing Instagram tributes he has posted to his girlfriend, while she hasn’t posted a snap of him in months, signalling a distinct turnaround from the once uncommitted toyboy who repeatedly rejected Gemma’s love during their first five years of romance.

Fans had urged her to dump her troubled lover after he publicly humiliated her on numerous occasions, from saying she had “more rolls than Greggs”, to uploading videos of her snoring. She was also said to be “worried sick” by his constant partying and drug and booze binges, which led to her calling an ambulance to his home to check on him in October, shortly before he entered rehab.

Despite her notoriously feisty character, she appears to have repeatedly forgiven Arg’s wrongdoings. After insisting she was a “strong independent woman” when she ended their relationship “for good” in October, she was snapped on a romantic holiday with him in Dubai just weeks later.

Now, friends reveal the reason she always returns to him is because the “deeply spiritual” star believes their history and understanding of each other has made them soulmates.

A source tells Closer, “Gemma often describes their connection as a magnetic force that keeps them together. Their chemistry is electric and they also have a solid friendship with humour at the crux of it.

“They have been through a lot of highs and lows, which has brought them closer and allowed them to show and share their vulnerabilities with each other – it’s created an unbreakable bond between them. And it isn’t always drama between the pair, as some people may think. When they’re good, Gemma insists there is nobody in the world who can make her laugh as much or feel better about herself than Arg.”

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In a heartbreaking TOWIE episode in October 2017, Gemma sobbed, “There’s something between us,” as she confessed her true feelings to Arg after he rejected her advances yet again following a night of passion – prompting her to end their long-term “friends with benefits” arrangement. Two months later, he serenaded her with a mariachi band before asking her to be his girlfriend, cheekily adding, “We bounce off each other in more ways than one.”

And it seems that by backing off, Gemma has given Arg time to appreciate her. She used the same technique again at the end of last year, which has turned the tide in their relationship.

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The source explains, “When Arg started going off the rails again at the end of last year, Gemma made the really tough decision to pull back and let him realise what he was going to lose if he continued to self-destruct. His time in rehab was a huge wake-up call, which made him see just how much she’s helped him to overcome – he really appreciates that now.

“He was lost in his ways, but being away from Gemma has given him the kick-start he needed. Now, he is going all-out to prove how much he adores her, from the loving pictures he’s posting to leaving her romantic voice-notes and even writing songs about her. The tables really have turned and now he is the one chasing her – just like she pined after him for all those years.

“A lot of people questioned whether Gemma should have kept taking him back in the past but, really, she has taken back control now and given herself the upper hand, which has made their relationship even stronger. Above all the pain and heartbreak he’s put her through in the past, she just can’t resist his vulnerable side and believes they truly are soulmates who are destined to spend their lives together.”

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Gemma is no stranger to toxic relationships. She allegedly suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her drug-dealer ex, Alex Moss, who she claimed spat food in her face shortly before she entered the I’m A Celeb! jungle in 2014 – a claim he denies.

Another ex of Gemma’s, jailbird Stephen Mortimer, was sent back to jail for robbery just months into their relationship in 2016.

Summing up her romantic history, Gemma once said, “I don’t know why I’m attracted to wrong’uns.”

But our source explains, “Despite her diva ‘GC’ alter-ego, Gemma is incredibly empathetic and always sees the good in others. She has had some bad romances, but Arg does genuinely love and care for her. She is secretly quite proud that she has managed to tame him and put him on the right path when nobody else could.”

Three years ago, Gemma was told by a psychic that she and Arg would have a baby together.

And the source adds, “Gem 100 per cent believes that her and Arg’s romance is written in the stars. She has suffered her fair share of heartache because of him, but she also finds it romantic. She truly believes it will end in a fairy tale, with them having a baby and growing old together."

Read even more celeb news in this week' Closer magazine, out now.

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