It’s been over a decade since Gemma Collins made her name as the outspoken diva of TOWIE, but behind the scenes, the reality star has always been honest, and at times very emotional, about her ultimate dream to become a mum.
And last week, Gemma, 42, confirmed that one of her biggest hopes – after building up a reported net worth of around £2.7 million through her TV roles and fashion empire – is to have a little girl, who she hopes to call Dolce Bella or Dolce Vita, after her favourite cheese.
However, rumours have been swirling that she and fiancé Rami Hawash – who got engaged in December 2021 – have had an agonising split, after Gemma posted a cryptic Instagram message to fans on Valentine’s Day.
Reminding them that “you must be your own greatest love”, Gemma warned her followers against listening to Miley Cyrus’ singleton anthem, Flowers, on 14 February, and admitted, “It’s nicer when someone buys them [flowers] for you”. Fans were quick to ask, “Where’s Rami?” as her on/off partner of 12 years has been noticeably absent from her Instagram for over a month.
Gemma’s rep refused to comment on whether or not she and Rami, 49, have split when approached by Closer. But an insider says that whether or not she’s with Rami, Gemma is still hell-bent on having a baby this year.
The source says, “Being a mum is all Gemma ever wanted and she’s determined to make that happen one way or another. She can see herself with a little girl – her own mini- me – and knows she’s running out of time. She’s said that this time next year she wants a baby, and is pulling out all the stops to make it happen.”
Earlier this month, friends revealed the TV favourite had joked she was having sex four times a day with Rami in a bid to conceive, and has been on a pre-baby fitness kick to make sure she’s in optimum health to fall pregnant.
And in an unusually candid moment, the bubbly star revealed how she broke down in tears during a trip to Bethlehem on New Year’s Day, saying, “I did pray when I was there. I said, ‘Please God, please give me a baby this year’ and you know please God it happens.” She has previously been open about trying for a baby and bravely shared with fans in 2021 that she had been unable to fall pregnant naturally so far. “I’ve not been using any contraception. I can’t get pregnant so I’m going to have to be brave now and look into this myself,” she said at the time – later admitting her morale and hopes had been boosted by model Naomi Campbell, who welcomed her first child at 50.
Gemma, who has been open about her battle with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), previously suffered a tragic miscarriage in 2012, when she was forced to give birth on her landing at four months’ pregnant. She had been dating a city banker for five years at the time.
The star, who also suffered a miscarriage in her 20s, later revealed she had suffered another miscarriage with ex-boyfriend James Argent during lockdown in 2020, saying, “It was very sad. But it does make me realise that, potentially, there is hope there for me for the future.”
She added, “I pray every night that everything’s going to work out for me. I’ve been quite lucky with my career but my personal life is heartbreaking. Having the miscarriage with someone you love very much was very heartbreaking.”
After being advised to lose weight by a fertility specialist, Gemma vowed to lose at least 2st and, after reuniting with Rami in 2021, announced they had started trying for a baby.
Gemma is also a loving step-mum to Rami’s son, Tristan, four, and the trio enjoy regular family days out together. Gemma has previously posted about him, “No feeling like it, my little prince, being a step-mummy is so rewarding, love is free and so rewarding, nothing can put a price on this.”
And the source says, “She’s so close to Rami’s son and has always said that whatever happens between them, that he would be the father of her children and that is still her plan. He’s her best friend and they get on so well but Gemma knows she has the financial security and isn’t scared by the idea of becoming a single mum if she had to – she says she could rock it all on her own if needs be.”
Gemma, who is famously close to her mum, Joan, previously made it clear that she’ll explore every avenue to fulfil her dream of motherhood, and says it would be a “travesty” to be “robbed” of the experience, which she says she would trade her fame for “tomorrow”.
Revealing that her “gay besties” have also volunteered to be the father, Gemma revealed she would also consider a sperm bank, saying, “If I had to go down that route I will do it. I’ve got no qualms in that. I’m very open and honest. I will have a baby and I do want a baby.”
The source adds, “Gemma has achieved almost everything she has wanted to do in her professional life, but she has this yearning for a child, especially a daughter. She wants the relationship she has with her mum Joan and after being a step-mum for the past few years, she knows she’s ready to take that next step.”