Gemma Collins

Gemma Collins
Born Gemma Collins
2 February 1981
Romford, London, England, UK
Residence Brentwood, Essex, England, UK
Nationality British
Occupation Television personality, reality TV star, writer
Years active 2011–
Television The Only Way Is Essex (2011–)
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (2014)
Relatives Joan Collins (mother)
Website
Official website

Gemma Collins (born 2 February 1981)[1] is an English television personality, reality television star and writer. She is best known for being a cast member of the ITVBe semi-reality programme The Only Way Is Essex, joining the show in its second series in 2011. In 2014, she took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! but withdrew after just 3 days of taking part in the show.

Early life

Collins attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School as a child. She later participated in several theatre productions including The Sound of Music.[2]

Television

Other television

Collins occasionally presents competition segments on ITV programme This Morning and has also made appearances on Loose Women, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Big Brother's Bit on the Side, Celebrity Juice and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW!.

On 23 December 2013, it was announced that Collins would participate in the second series of ITV diving show Splash!.[3] On 4 January 2014, she took part in the first heat, but was eliminated in a Splash-off with Michaela Strachan.[4]

On 16 November 2014, Collins took part in the fourteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! on ITV.[5][6] However, she later withdrew after spending 72 hours in the jungle.[7][8]

The Only Way Is Essex

In 2011, Julie Childs, mother of Collins' schoolfriend Amy, informed producers of the ITV2 semi-reality programme The Only Way Is Essex–in which Amy featured–about Collins. They came round to Collins' house and then filmed her and her friends for two weeks.[9] After going back to work selling cars for a week, she was hired and joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex from its second series in 2011; her first ever scene was selling a car to Kirk Norcross.[9] Gemma's mother Joan joined in the fifth series in April 2012.[10] Collins used to date fellow castmember James "Arg" Argent, until they broke up in August 2012.[11]

Personal life

Collins had a very public weight battle in 2011 and admitted, "I felt safe when I was eating. Food became my friend."[12] In April 2013, Collins revealed how she suffered in early 2011. Having previously had an abortion, she felt it was "God's way of punishing me".[13] Also in 2011, Collins did a nude photo shoot for Heat.[2] She released her autobiography Basically: My Real Life as an Essex Girl in June 2013 and it became a bestseller in its first week of release.[14] On 27 December 2013, it was announced that Collins had become engaged to boyfriend Rami Hawash.[15] Several weeks later, the Daily Mirror subsequently reported that the couple had broken off their engagement.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "@missgemcollins - Love Harry birthday cake for breakfast he knows me well xxx". Twitter.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Gemma Collins biography". gemmacollinsofficial.com. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  3. ↑ Watts, Halina (23 December 2013). "Splash! Hollyoaks stunner and TOWIE star aim to make a Splash! as hit ITV show returns". Daily Mirror (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  4. ↑ Tonks, Owen; Hodgson, Claire (4 January 2014). "Splash! 2014 result recap: Perri Kiely and Michaela Strachan make it through to the semi-final". Daily Mirror (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "I'm a Celebrity lineup confirmed: Michael Buerk, Kendra, Craig Charles". Digital Spy.
  6. ↑ Mark Jefferies. "I'm a Celebrity 2014 full line up revealed: Gemma Collins is final contestant to land Down Under". mirror.
  7. ↑ "Gemma Collins leaves the I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! jungle". itv.com. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  8. ↑ Chester, Jason (19 November 2014). "Gemma Collins QUITS I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! after just three days". Daily Mail. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Meyler, Piers (6 January 2014). "TOWIE's Gemma Collins' top job tips for youngsters". Brentwood Gazette. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Gemma Collins' mum has joined The Only Way Is Essex". 4Music. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Spedding, Emma (10 August 2012). "Vodka, flirting and some very weird faces: Gemma’s boozy night out after dumping boyfriend Arg". Daily Mirror (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  12. ↑ Rainbird, Ashleigh (23 April 2013). "Gemma Collins on her weight battle: "I was ramming food in so fast I couldn't breathe"". Daily Mirror (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  13. ↑ Strange, Fay (22 April 2013). "Gemma Collins reveals she lost a baby but believes it’s ‘punishment’ for previous abortion". Daily Mail (DMG Media). Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "Gemma Collins autobiography 'Basically' is a bestseller!". gemmacollinsofficial.com. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Saunders, Emmeline (27 December 2013). "TOWIE's Gemma Collins just got engaged! Congratulations to her and Rami Hawash!". Heat (Bauer Media Group). Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  16. ↑ Rainbird, Ashleigh (26 December 2013). "Gemma Collins engagement is over - just four weeks after Rami's romantic Christmas Day proposal". Daily Mirror (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 28 February 2014.

External links