They first became the best of friends when they bonded in the Celebrity Big Brother house eight years ago. Since then, TOWIE's Gemma Collins and X Factor twins John and Edward Grimes – AKA Jedward – have become inseparable.
From Sunday roasts at Gemma’s sprawling Essex pad, to sharing hot tubs, nights out and even Christmas Day together, the TOWIE OG has dubbed the 33-year-old brothers ‘one in a million’ and ‘my family’, while Jedward have praised Gemma as being ‘such a solid person in our lives’.
But while reality show fans can’t get enough of their close friendship, an insider says the time they spend together has caused ‘tension’ in Gemma’s relationship with fiancé Rami Hawash, who popped the question during a romantic holiday to the Maldives in February.
The source claims, ‘Gemma’s been spending more time than ever with Jedward, and while Rami’s always got on with them and never had a problem with their close relationship, it’s starting to come between them.
‘Gemma always says she’s in her “happy place” when she’s with Jedward, and over the last few weeks she’s been hanging out with them more than Rami, which has understandably put tension on their relationship and, ultimately, her wedding plans.’
After finding fame on TOWIE in 2011, Gemma’s Essex empire has gone from strength-to-strength, seeing her transform from a car saleswoman with the gift of the gab to a multi-millionaire icon in her own right.
However, her love life hasn’t always followed suit, as Gemma, 43, was embroiled in a tumultuous, toxic and on/off relationship with TOWIE co-star James ‘Arg’ Argent for eight years. They split for good in 2020, reportedly owing to Arg’s well-publicised addiction troubles and claims he had been verbally abusive towards Gemma, after she took to Instagram to show text messages where he had cruelly labelled her a ‘hippo’ and ‘fat f**k’.
Meanwhile, Gemma – also known as her alter-ego, The GC – had a rocky journey to happiness with Rami after being first linked in 2011. He had previously ‘put a ring on it’ in 2013, but she ended their engagement weeks later. They reconciled in 2021 and were set to marry again, but the reality star revealed last summer that they had opted to cancel their wedding plans and focus on other priorities.
Then, in February, the bride-to-be announced her engagement to Rami for the third time. ‘I’m blown away and in a total love bubble right now,’ she said.
Gemma’s friendship with Jedward has stayed strong throughout – so much so that she pledged to ‘get the papers’ to officially adopt them on their birthday last month. In part, her message read, ‘Happy birthday to the most heaven-sent boys. You light up every room and were definitely sent from heaven as two angels on this planet.
‘It’s time for me to fully adopt you – this is my birthday gift to you. Let’s get the papers drawn up today.’
And now, insiders say that, while Gemma strives to prioritise both her friendships and relationship, Rami can’t help but feel put out and would like her to make some more time for him.
The source says, ‘Gemma’s friendships are extremely important to her, and she’s never been the person to alienate her mates when she’s in a relationship. But Rami recently admitted that he feels a little jealous of her closeness with Jedward and has begun to feel like she is choosing to hang out with them more than him.
‘Rami’s never had a huge friendship circle, and while he knows Gemma is the polar opposite and a big extrovert, her relationship with Jedward has become a bone of contention. It’s got to the point where he sometimes feels like she’s putting time with them over him.’
Earlier this year, Gemma stood firmly in Jedward’s corner after their ex-manager, Louis Walsh, branded them as ‘vile’ during his time in the Big Brother house.
‘Shocked to see what was said about my boys @ jepicpics,’ she told her followers. ‘They are the sweetest, talented, polite, educated, kind boys I’ve ever met, hence why they are always in my company.’
And a source says that Gemma now feels torn about spending time with the twins, but is trying to reassure her husband-to-be that he will always be her number one.
The insider says, ‘While Gem knows his feelings come from a place of love, she now feels like she’s in a tug-of-war between Rami and Jedward, which is making her feel stressed and anxious. Rami’s told Gemma that he’s not asking her to cut them off, but just be more conscious of his feelings and how she would feel if the situation were reversed.
‘She has assured him that he will always be her number one priority and that no other man – or men – will come between them and threaten what they have.’