Refusing to break down in tears despite her personal pain, last week Gemma Collins dropped her diva act to bravely show her more vulnerable side as she revealed she’d suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage during lockdown.
During an appearance on Loose Women, Gemma, 39 – who suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome, which can affect fertility and increase the risk of complications in pregnancy – admitted there had been “a lot of pain” and she’d initially mistaken her miscarriage for a heavy period.
She said, “I realised that it just wasn’t normal and I was getting through about ten thick sanitary towels a day. My doctor said that I had to go into the hospital immediately… I desperately want to be a mum.”
It’s a sentiment she’s often expressed. Earlier this year, Gemma spoke of her excitement about becoming a mother in her forties, saying, “I would love to have a child… In my forties, I’d love everybody to see the GC walking around with a pram.”
But her journey to motherhood has been tinged with sadness. She had an abortion in her twenties and, in 2012, tragically miscarried while in a five-year relationship with a city banker.
Speaking about the ordeal, she later said, “I actually gave birth to a child, sadly, and basically the child was four months old… I had a miscarriage. I’ll never forget it. It was a very traumatising experience. I didn’t know I was pregnant because I have polycystic ovaries.”
To make matters worse, Gemma’s on/off nine-year relationship with James “Arg” Argent has been left in doubt after being plagued with endless bitter splits – the latest of which happened after he cruelly branded her a “hippo” and a “fat f**k”. Gemma seemingly apologised to Arg – who credited Gemma’s “tough love” for saving his life after his latest rehab stint and who vowed to start a family with her – for sharing his abusive messages.
But last week, she got the rumour mill turning after posing with a string of mystery men while on holiday in Greece, posting one picture with a male pal on Instagram Stories, writing alongside, “I love you baby.”
The former TOWIE star – who is reportedly planning a breast reduction – also posed topless and showed off her 3st weight loss in revealing outfits.
And Gemma revealed she plans to lose even more weight to improve her chances of conceiving naturally. During the TV interview last week, she said, “I saw a top specialist… He said to me, ‘You need to get your weight down, you need to get at least another 2st off.’”
Last week, she began filming the latest series of her reality show, Diva Out Of Lockdown, upon returning to the UK – part of her new £250k deal, which recently made her ITVBe’s highest-paid star.
Take a look: former TOWIE stars - where are they now?
CLOSER - axed Towie cast members where are they now? - slider
1 of 26Harry Derbridge, series 1- 3 and 12
Harry Derbridge was a Towie original and still holds a very special place in our hearts. He made a welcome return to the show as Bobby Norris's love interest but, allegedly, cheated on him.
2 of 26Harry Derbridge, 2018
Harry now works it as a make-up artist. Is it us, or does he look like he might have had a little help with lip fillers?
3 of 26Maria Fowler, series 1 - 3
Maria, on the left with Joey Essex and Chloe Sims in 2011, was in the show from the get-go but her TV career was rocked when it was alleged she'd worked as an escort. She's since said she quit 'by mutual consent' after she refused an on-screen romance with Mick Norcross.
4 of 26Maria Fowler, 2018
Maria's now a proud mummy, engaged to be married and a self-proclaimed permanent make-up artist.
5 of 26Dan Osborne, series 8 - 14
Dan Osborne, pictured here with James Argent in 2013, managed seven series on the show. He was given the boot after a series of recordings, claiming to show Dan being verbally abusive towards his ex-girlfriend Megan Tomlin, came to light.
6 of 26Dan Osborne, 2018
Dan is still in the spotlight due to his relationship with ex-EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa. In May 2018 he described their marriage as "unhappy".
7 of 26Amber Dowding, series 18 - 21
Amber was part of a mega cull of seven Towie characters in January 2018. She claimed that she and her boyfriend Chris Clark were cut because they were happy. They've now split and Chris has reappeared on the show.
8 of 26Amber Dowding, 2018
If Amber's social media is anything to go by, she now appears to mostly be on holiday. Pretty goals from where we're sitting.
9 of 26Mike Hassini, series 16 - 18 and 21
Mike Hassini brought a hot bod to Towie and...not much else. He was cut in January 2018 due to a lack of storylines as he was loved-up outside the telly show.
10 of 26Mike Hassini, 2018
Mike is working as a PT, still loved-up, and still has a very hot bod. He has subsequently appeared briefly in gym scenes on the show.
11 of 26Jack Rigden, series 20 - 21
Jack Rigden tried hard, so hard, to make an impression on Towie but his lack of on-screen romance and agg saw him get very little camera time. He was part of the big cull of January 2018.
12 of 26Jack Rigden, 2018
Jack's Instagram bio describes him as an "absolute geezer". Which is nice.
13 of 26Jordan Brook, series 20 - 21
Jordan and Jack were brought in as friends of Megan McKenna. When she quit, they were left without any storylines.
14 of 26Jordan Brooks, 2018
Jordan is now dating Sofia Filipe of Ex On The Beach fame. Aww.
15 of 26Ricky Rayment, series 4 - 14
We still think very fondly of Ricky. His rocky relationship with Jess Wright was a huge part of the show but when they finally broke up, well... Ricky left the show "by mutual agreement"with Towie bosses.
16 of 26Ricky Rayment, 2018
Ricky now seems to mainly go fishing.
17 of 26Tom Pearce, series 5 - 13
Remember when Tom Pearce dated Lauren Goodger following her split from Mark Wright? That was an odd time. He was quietly shown the back doorof the show in 2014.
18 of 26Tom Pearce, 2018
Honestly? We're not 100% sure what Tom is actually doing these days. He used to work in the City, and his holidays certainly look pretty epic, so maybe that.
19 of 26Grace Andrews, series 11 - 12
Grace almost had a romantic relationship with Lewis Bloor (shudder) and that was the beginning and end of her time on Towie.
20 of 26Grace Andrews, 2018
Grace is now involved in a semi-permanent make-up company. Those Towie stars must really hate cleanser.
21 of 26Fran Parman, series 11 - 16
Fran's original romantic interest was Tom Pearce but he stepped aside to allow Diags to woo her. Bad luck. Their relationship was turbulent but apparently not turbulent enough for show producers. Diags stayed, she went.
22 of 26Fran Parman, 2018
Fran and Diags split and she now hangs out in clothing that does not look very practical.
23 of 26Jasmin Walia, series 1 and 7-17
Jasmin managed eight series until she was given the boot. In 2015 her agent stated: "TOWIE is very storyline dependent and Jasmin did not have much going on that we could show on screen."Ouch. She went on to audition for The X Factor. It did not go well. She also took part in reality show Desi Rascals, that lasted for one series.
24 of 26Jasmin Walia, 2018
Jasmin is still being papped, which is more than can be said for some of the other ex-Towie stars.
25 of 26Jake Hall, series 14 - 17
Jake's time of TOWIE was mainly characterised by him being mean to our sweet Essex princess Chloe Lewis including many accusations of infidelity, plus rumours he'd slept with Megan McKenna.
26 of 26Jake Hall, 2018
Jake subsequently became engaged to former Real Housewives of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri. They have a baby together but in December 2018Jake was given a restraining order following a bust up with his fiancée.
The self-coined GC’s unstoppable success was given another boost when fans launched a petition for their idol to replace shamed US chat-show host Ellen DeGeneres, whose £40m-a-year job hung in the balance amid a series of damning allegations she mistreated staff. Reports claimed last week that Ellen’s show – which is hugely popular in America and is shown on ITV2 in the UK – had the lowest-ever viewing figures recently.
Sharing the petition on her Instagram stories, the star was clearly flattered as almost 400 fans campaigned on Change.org for ITV2 to give Gemma the 62-year-old Hollywood presenter’s daytime slot.
It follows Gemma’s phenomenal success, which has skyrocketed this year. In May, she raked in a record £100k in one day via sales of her meme sweatshirts and stormed the podcast charts, landing a number one spot, and has been hotly tipped for the US version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Check out: Gemma Collins' In The Style range
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Gemma Collins In The Style collection
1 of 20CURVE GEMMA COLLINS Off White Claustrophobic Sweat
This sweatshirt is just as iconic as the original Celebrity Big Brother scene. (Only available in sizes 16-28).
2 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Off White Claustrophobic Sweat
Honestly, we need this sweatshirt in our lives more than we miss GC on Celeb Big Brother.
3 of 20CURVE GEMMA COLLINS Black Claustrophobic Sweat
This sweatshirt pays homage to a GC moment in history and we can't get enough. (Only available in sizes 16-28).
4 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Black Claustrophobic Sweat
Looking for loungewear to style as you grow into your sofa watching old eps of The GC on Celeb Big Brother? This is the sweatshirt for you.
5 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Horizontal Colour Block Jumper
A chunky knit for less than £25? Sold.
6 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Balloon Sleeve Colour Block Jumper
We love the shade of blue in this soft knitted jumper - pair it with some blue straight leg jeans and you're good to go.
7 of 20CURVE GEMMA COLLINS Good Vibes Sweatshirt
Oh Gemma, just take our money already will you. (Only available in sizes 16-28).
8 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Good Vibes Sweatshirt
We could do with some good vibes in 2020, tbh.
9 of 20CURVE GEMMA COLLINS Vertical Colour Block Roll Neck Jumper
YES, finally a roll neck we can get on board with. Say no to scratchy knitwear because this jumper from In The Style is soft AF. (Only available in sizes 16-24).
10 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Vertical Colour Block Roll Neck Jumper
Live your best working-from-home life in this comfy knit. You're welcome.
11 of 20CURVE GEMMA COLLINS GC Obsessed Sweatshirt
We're obsessed with this sweatshirt. Enough said. (Only available in sizes 16-28).
12 of 20GEMMA COLLINS GC Obsessed Sweatshirt
We're obse- oh, we already said that one.
13 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Grey 'Mood' Embroidered Hoodie
YES. We love a co-ord and this hoodie (available with matching joggers) is no exception.
14 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Grey 'Mood' Embroidered Jogger
Mmm, soft joggers and a cuppa on the sofa. A Sunday dream.
15 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Pink Mood Embroidered Hoodie
So, you're telling us we can live our best GC life in this hoodie? adds to basket.
16 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Pink 'Mood' Embroidered Jogger
These joggers are what Lizzie McGuire was thinking about when she said this is what dreams are made of.
17 of 20CURVE GEMMA COLLINS Mood Varsity Sweat
We cannot get enough of this shade of blue, plus, that sweatshirt looks like the comfiest thing to come out of 2020. (Only available in sizes 16-28).
18 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Mood Varsity Sweat
We reckon our moods will perk up if we all buy this sweatshirt, tbh.
19 of 20GEMMA COLLINS Pink Essex Varsity Sweat
Essex, home and heartland of the notorious G.C.
20 of 20GEMMA COLLINS GC Diva Sweatshirt
Comfy with a hint of sass. We love it.
Watch: Ferne McCann teases TOWIE 10 year reunion
But despite all of her achievements, when asked by Loose Women co-host Nadia Sawalha if she’d give up everything – including fame – to have children, Gemma replied, “Absolutely. I’d swap it all in an instant.”
She added, “I pray every night that everything is going to work out for me. I’ve been quite lucky with my career, but my personal life is heartbreaking. Having a miscarriage with someone you love very much was very heartbreaking.”
In 2017, Gemma told Closer she’d had a consultation about freezing her eggs, saying, “I’ve not met the man of my dreams yet and I’m feeling the pressure, so I’ve had a consultation and I’m freezing my eggs.” Speaking about her love life in her podcast last week Gemma said, “If I can’t meet anyone soon, I’ll go and get a robot.”
Read more:
Gemma Collins launches In The Style pyjama collection and it's exclusively plus size
TOWIE couple CONFIRM shock reunion as they're spotted secretly kissing
And last week, she revealed she didn’t want motherhood “robbed” from her and was considering all her options. In addition to conceiving naturally, she is open to using a sperm donor and adopting.
She said, “My lovely gay besties have all put themselves up for the job of being my sperm donor.” She added, “I’ve got my nephews and I treat them like they’re my own but I have no qualms about going down the donor route. There are so many options, like adoption – Madonna’s done it, Angelina Jolie, maybe the GC is next. But I am holding on to the dream that I can conceive naturally.”
Read the best celeb stories each week in Closer magazine - out now.