She's been happily loved-up for over a year - getting engaged last December and now busily wedding planning.
But Gemma Collins has been left devastated after an accident which could leave car repair boss Rami Hawash blind in one eye.
Sharing a picture of Rami, 46, wearing an eye patch, Gemma, 41, told her 2.2m Instagram followers, “Rami had a very serious accident on his eye and nose at work - he needs an operation.”
In an interview last week, the former TOWIE star said, “He’s really shaken up – he’s been in excruciating pain as he had his operation last week. We hope that he’s going to get the sight back in his eye, but I did reassure him that if he went blind or if he was going to lose his eye, that I’m still going to be with him.”
Gemma – who dated Rami on and off for three years from 2011 before they reconnected after she split from on/off lover James 'Arg' Argent in 2020 - continued, “I said, ‘Don’t worry, I love him with an eye, without an eye, whether or not he gets his sight back.’ So there’s been a lot going on emotionally as well, but we make sure to support one another.”
And insiders have revealed there's another surprise support for Gemma - Rami's ex wife Fernanda, who the reality star has grown close to.
Rami and Fernanda - who split in 2019 - share three-year-old son Tristan. Since Gemma reconnected with Rami, she has shared multiple pictures with Tristan on days out, and spoken about how much she revels in being a stepmum.
She talked about spending time with Fernanda earlier this year, saying it was, "so surreal but so wonderful.”
Earlier this month, she tagged Fernanda in an Instagram story, saying, “We've got the gorgeous Fernanda here who is Rami's ex-wife and she's helping and teaching me how to cook today".
A source tells Closer, “It surprised Gemma’s pals to see them so close but Fernanda is lovely and there’s never been any bad feeling. Fernanda has a really grown-up relationship with Rami and they've happily co-parented for years.
“Gem and Fernanda have become even closer since Rami's accident, Gem's even said they're like sisters and has found it so helpful to have Fernanda there during this stressful time.
“Waiting for doctors to assess whether Rami will regain his full eyesight has been terrifying and Gem's doing her best to hold it together. Sometimes she feels overwhelmed and that’s when Fernanda comes in. Gem thinks she’s a superwoman, and Fernanda is equally impressed with Gem.”
The source adds, “They’ve talked about going for dinner, just the two of them. They call each other quite a lot, and Gem has been updating her with what the doctors say. They have an amazing bond, they both just want to do what’s best for Rami."
