Oozing confidence as Essex’s all-time favourite diva and the ultimate TOWIE OG, Gemma Collins has earned her reputation, and her millions to boot, by slapping her ‘candy’ at cruel critics – including her toxic exes – who have taunted her over her size 24 curves.
But last week, Gemma, 43, bravely opened up about the crippling ‘upset, stress and turmoil that comes with constantly trying to lose excess weight’ – revealing that she has recently dropped two dress sizes while using a controversial fat loss jab in ‘secret’.
Taking to social media to reveal her new slimmed-down look, she told fans, ‘I finally feel free’.
And a source reveals how Gemma – who last week was busily decluttering her wardrobe of all of her old clothes – says she is adamant that she won’t stop until she drops six dress sizes to reach a size 12/14.
The insider says, ‘Gemma is already eyeing up designers and has told pals she won't try anything on until she's a size 14.
‘She's hellbent on doing this the right way after trying everything else and, for her, it’s about starting a new life in the skin and body she feels she should have always been in.
'Gemma has been overweight most of her adult life, so to be given this tool to lose weight is like winning the lottery. She knows that what she loses in weight, she’ll gain in confidence.’
While Gemma has always been open about her weight loss journey, the reality-star-turned-entrepreneur has always had a love-hate relationship with her body, which had fluctuated between a size 10 and a size 24.
Entering TOWIE in a whirlwind of fake tan and bleached locks, Gemma became a household name overnight for her confident swagger – and the apple pie she made for her crush, the late Mick Norcross.
However, it was when she began her relationship with co-star James ‘Arg’ Argent that her weight – which has seen Gemma try ‘every diet’ from juice detoxes to slimming pills - became a huge storyline on the show.
While Gemma confidently slapped her bottom and told Arg, ‘You ain’t never gonna get this candy’ during an iconic Marbella episode back in 2012, their relationship was plagued by the sniggering jibes and cruel jokes that Arg would make to both Gemma and his friends.
In private messages revealed by Gemma at the time of their split in 2020, Arg apparently described his then-girlfriend as a ‘hippo’ and a ‘fat, horrible lump’ and said she had ‘more rolls than Greggs’.
But now the source says that after settling down and leading a quieter life with Rami and her beloved stepson Tristan, Gemma – who has suffered multiple miscarriages and has PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) - is adamant that her new weight loss journey is about so much more than how she looks.
The insider says, ‘She's 44 this month and still holding onto her dreams of becoming a Mummy. This is so much more than wanting to lose a few pounds to get into a pair of jeans. To Gemma, this is a whole new chapter of her life where she gets her happy ending of marrying Rami and having his baby.’
Yet while fans have been supportive and congratulated Gemma for ‘being honest about weight loss jabs’, others have accused of being ‘another celebrity joining the trend’ alongside the likes of Sharon Osbourne and Oprah Winfrey.
But our insider says that Gemma is determined not to set a bad example to her loyal fan base.
They add, ‘Gemma is shocked how some celebs have gone too far - that's not the kind of message she is putting out there.
‘It horrifies her that people can get hold of these injections at their local beauty shop and she’s worried that some celebs are using these pens to extremems and ultimately pushing the sales of black market batches without proper medical advice.
‘Gemma thinks being underweight is just as dangerous as being overweight.’
And while Gemma has confessed that she and Rami, 49, will be throwing three weddings – one in England, one abroad and a ‘formal one for our closest friends and family’ – the couple aren’t planning to marry until 2026.
But that doesn’t mean that Gemma hasn’t already been making plans for her dream dress, hinting, ‘I might even go back to my roots and wear something really Essex-like and over the top. At the moment I’m thinking something Italian-themed, then a “wow” one with a huge train.’
The source adds, ‘Gemma is already on track to be a healthy and slim size 12/14 by summer and she really feels like this time she will achieve her goals and be the bride, and the version of herself, that she’s always dreamt of being.
‘Being healthy and happy is her ultimate goal.’