Gemma

GEMMA Collins has opened up about her journey with grief after heartbreakingly losing her mum.

The former Towie star announced earlier this week that her beloved mum Joan had passed away after several years of health issues.

Now, Gemma says her grief is ‘coming in waves’ and detailed how she is healing during the difficult time.

In a new Instagram post, the star shared a picture of a memorial area set up for her mum – containing a framed picture of them together, flowers, and candles.

She captioned the snap: “Grief is the price we pay for love. ❤️

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every message, every prayer, every kind word. I’m reading them all and getting back to everyone slowly. Please bear with me. Some moments I feel okay, and then it comes in waves.

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“One beautiful thing keeps happening. A butterfly has been with me constantly, appearing wherever I go.

“It brings me a sense of peace, and in my heart I truly feel it’s my mum letting me know she’s close, watching over me, and reminding me that love never really leaves us.”

Gemma continued to say that her fans and friends were ‘holding me up’ – after a wave of tributes piled in for Joan.

She ended the post: “Thank you all for holding me up with your kindness. It means more than you’ll ever know. 🦋🤍

“She loved @paulmccartney and the @thebeatles I’m finding lots of healing listening to the music 🦋🐦‍⬛”.

Gemma announced her mum’s death online earlier this week, sharing how she had passed ‘peacefully’ and was finally ‘out of pain’.

Just last month, Joan was rushed to hospital after being struck down with pneumonia for the second time in the space of six months.

When her mum was admitted to hospital, Gemma told fans she “couldn’t sleep with worry”.

Just six months before her hospital visit at the start of June, Joan was hospitalised with pneumonia again.

She spent five weeks under medical care before Christmas, with Gemma describing the time as the ‘toughest of her life’.

Joan had spent time in medical care several times in recent years.

In March 2020 , she was first taken to hospital with pneumonia and it was reported that she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis.

The condition left her with a heavily compromised immune system and vulnerable to infections.

Four years later in 2024, Gemma was left heartbroken as she told how her mum was in intensive care following a breast cancer diagnosis.

At the time, Joan, who found a cancerous lump between her breast and armpit, was rushed to hospital after she stopped breathing.

GEMMA Atkinson has shown off her washboard abs in a thong bikini after her fiancé Gorka Marquez made a cheeky joke about her job.

The soap actress left fans’ jaws on the floor as she soaked up the sun on holiday.

She cut an incredibly toned figure as she posed up in a mismatched bikini.

In one snap posted to Instagram, Gemma smiled at the camera, flashing her bum in tiny, red, tie-side bottoms.

She went make-up-free in the pictures, looking happier than ever to be spending time with her family.

Gemma wore a plunging black bikini top and matching sunglasses as she threw up a peace sign.

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The former Hollyoaks star and model sizzled in the slew of photos, which showed off her light-hearted side.

She looked fresh out the water with her damp locks clinging to her back.

The mum-of-two captioned the post: “Vitamin D, time on a beach & family = Bliss!”

Fans could not get over Gemma’s sexy snaps and they took to the comments to share their thoughts.

“Looking incredible! Absolute body goals,” wrote one fan.

Another fan said: “Wow Gem looking absolutely gorgeous.”

Strictly pro Diane Buswell penned: “Stun,” followed by a red heart and fire emoji.

Meanwhile, another fan wrote: “Your figure is incredible! You look amazing and so happy.”

Gorka also commented the heart eyes emoji under Gemma’s post after he made a daring joke on their podcast Lost In Translation.

Gemma, 41, was asked by a fan: “What is Gemma Atkinson famous for?”

Ex-Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka, 35, couldn’t resist jumping in with: “Flashing her t*ts. Actually no, sorry, actress…”

Laughing, Gemma replied: “I’ve done every soap you can imagine, my darling.

“I run a business and I was FHM’s Sexiest Woman back in the day. Your dad will know.”

Gemma Atkinson has appeared in the likes of Emmerdale and Hollyoaks over the years

Gemma Atkinson has revealed if a soap return is on the cards for her.

The TV favourite first gained recognition as Lisa Hunter on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks from 2001 to 2005, with a brief comeback in 2022.

Since then, she’s graced our screens in shows like The Bill, and Waterloo Road. And in 2015, she joined ITV’s Emmerdale playing Carly Hope.

During her stint on the soap as Carly, Gemma was involved in some big storylines – from the heartbreaking revelation that her baby boy, Billy, passed away from sudden infant death to her turbulent romance with Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock).

After two years though, Gemma left the soap in 2017 – and she has remained booked and busy ever since, appearing on Strictly in 2017 and her own reality show with partner Gorka Márquez, Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind the Lens.

And during a recent episode of her podcast, Lost in Translation, that she co-hosts with Gorka, Gemma was quizzed on whether she would ever head back into the world of soaps.

Asking Gemma a question from a viewer, Gorka said: “Would Gemma go back to acting in soaps or acting in general?”

Gemma then replied: “I would. I wouldn’t be able to do soaps again. Hollyoaks kindly asked me back a few times and I love Hollyoaks.” She explained: “The thing with soaps, I love them, but you have to be on call for 24/7 unless you specifically book time off.

“You could have a random Thursday off in the schedule but they’ll ring and say ‘we’re planning to do exterior scenes but it’s chucking it down and we’ve changed it. We’re interior now, you’re in’.”

Gemma, who is a mum to daughter named Mia born in 2019 and a son named Thiago (born in July 2023 – went on: “With kids and juggling that, it would be too stressful and I wouldn’t want to.”

Nonetheless, Gemma added “However, if it was like a one-off drama, whereby they said ‘you start the 10th of May you finish the 10th of June’, 100% because there’s a start and end and I would love it.”

Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX

GEMMA Collins looked great in a bikini as she makes a bit of extra cash by selling her old clothes for just a tenner.

The former Towie star, 45, took to her Instagram story to tell her 2.3 million followers that she’s uploaded some bits from her wardrobe on app Vinted.

The GC wowed in a blue paisley bikini and matching sarong.

She completed the look with long beach waves.

“Make me crazy prices on Vinted today, it’s all got to go,” she captioned the post.

In the next post she shared a screen shot of her Vinted profile, named “gcwardrobe1”, to display the clothes that she has on the platform for sale

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Gemma has some white shorts, a top and some trousers all on her account for £10.00 each.

She also has an oversized t-shirt dress on there for £15.00.

The self-confessed diva also told fans: “All orders by 3pm before we close the account for summer holidays.”

The reality star has 279 reviews on her profile and has an average of 4.9 rating.

“The wardrobe of the GC items worn once for filming or for a shoot. Enjoy,” the profile bio states.

And now the profile has been closed.

It’s not the first time that Gemma has taken to Vinted to sell her unwanted clothes.

Back in February, there was plenty to pick – from brightly coloured tops to swimsuits and dresses. 

Items ranged from sizes 20 to 30 and prices range from just £3 up to £40.

Just last month Gemma oozed beauty and body confidence rocking a skin-tight swimsuit by the water.

The TV personality posted the stunning snap to her Instagram grid today, alongside an inspirational message for her followers.

In the photo Gemma is sitting on a sun lounger wearing the off-the-shoulder swimwear.

The pink outfit perfectly hugged her curves and featured a sweet bow detail at the bust.

She captioned the post: “Loving the sun. Wishing you all a lovely bank holiday.

“Get your body in the sun, let your soul exhale

“Own your glow, take up space, wear the swimsuit, dive in the pool, laugh louder, live softer.

“The sun was never asking for perfection… only presence.”

GEMMA Collins spent years convincing the world she was living her best diva life – but behind the designer handbags and larger-than-life personality, there was a time when the empire she had worked so hard to build started crumbling around her.

Incredibly, the GC pulled herself back from the brink and banked more than £1.4 million last year. But friends say the feat would have been nearly impossible without the help of one very special man.

Those closest to Gemma have revealed the secret to the Romford-born star’s success is her dad, Alan, who is credited as the only person who can keep Gemma grounded.

A source tells us: “People see Gemma as this unstoppable force of nature, but behind the scenes, Alan has always been her rock.

“When things got difficult financially, he stepped in and took control.

“Gemma trusts him completely. There aren’t many people she would hand that responsibility to.”

For years, Gemma has openly admitted that Alan is effectively the gatekeeper to her fortune.

In one interview, she confessed: “My dad controls all my money. Seriously, I have to ask him if I want to upgrade my car.”

It’s a remarkable admission for a woman who has built a reported £4million fortune and can command up to £75,000 for a single sponsored Instagram post.

But those who know the family say it perfectly sums up their relationship.

Another source tells us: “Alan has always kept Gemma grounded.

“She’s the star, but he’s the sensible head behind the scenes.

“When she gets excited about a new project, he’s often the person asking the difficult questions.”

The latest figures suggest that the approach is paying off.

Accounts for her personal brand, Gemma Collins Ltd, show the company landed profits of around £1.4 million last year.

For fans who remember the financial turmoil of previous years, this is a huge turnaround.

Back in 2017, Gemma Collins Boutique Ltd was forced into liquidation owing around £88,000 to creditors.

The problems continued when she was disqualified from acting as a company director for three years in 2020 after repeatedly failing to meet VAT return deadlines, with HMRC pursuing claims worth more than £71,000.

A separate clothing business was later voluntarily dissolved, while her cosmetics venture, GemmaCollagen Ltd, survived for just a matter of months before disappearing altogether.

One insider tells us: “There was a period where it felt like every business venture came with a headache.

“Gemma never stopped working, but there were definitely lessons learned.

“That’s when Alan became more involved.”

It is perhaps fitting that Gemma’s biggest supporter is also somebody who understands business himself.

Alan built a successful career in shipping and has long been regarded as one of the most influential figures in his daughter’s life.

Fans caught a glimpse of their bond on her reality shows, where Alan frequently offered advice, not just about money but about life itself.

During one emotional conversation about her turbulent romance with James Argent, he told her: “You’ve just got to find some stability in your life when you find the right person.

“As much as we all like Arg, you’ve got to decide if he’s the right person.”

He later added: “For my daughter, I want somebody who’s top dollar.”

Those close to the family say that attitude explains exactly why Gemma places so much trust in him.

One source tells us: “Alan isn’t interested in celebrity.

“He cares about Gemma being secure and looked after. That’s always been his focus.”

Their relationship has only strengthened in recent years.

Gemma has spoken emotionally about her father’s devastating battle with Covid in 2020, when he spent weeks fighting for his life in intensive care.

She has also supported both Alan and mum Joan through a series of serious health scares, including Joan’s breast cancer diagnosis and terrifying hospitalisation last year after she stopped breathing.

The ordeal brought the family even closer together.

These days, Alan and Joan live with Gemma in her £1.3 million Essex home alongside fiancé Rami.

Speaking previously, Gemma said: “They live with me now. They’ve moved into my home, so we’re like one big Irish family.”

And remarkably, there appears to be very little tension under the roof.

Previously speaking to The Sun, Gemma explained: “Rami was absolutely fine with it.

“He loves my parents. They get on really well.

“You’ve got to remember, Rami has been in my family for nearly 15 years.”

The happy family dynamic comes as Gemma prepares for what insiders believe could be one of the biggest chapters of her career.

Later this year, she will return to screens with a new Sky reality series, Four Weddings and a Baby, which follows her wedding plans with Rami and her hopes of starting a family.

One insider tells us: “This show is incredibly important to Gemma because it’s the most personal thing she’s ever done.

“People know The GC, but this is about the woman behind the character.

“She’s genuinely in a really happy place.”

And for Gemma, that happiness feels hard-earned.

Perhaps that’s why those closest to her believe the latest financial success means far more than a healthy bank balance.

It’s proof that after all the setbacks, Gemma Collins is finally enjoying the stability she spent years chasing.

And standing beside her through every twist and turn has been the same man all along.

GEMMA Collins’ had a damper put on her bank holiday fun as she received a parking ticket in Essex this weekend.

The former Towie star looked horrified as she returned to her flashy Range Rover after lunch to see that it had been slapped with a hefty fine.

Dressed in a vibrant two-piece for the hottest day of the year so far, Gemma was snapped outside of Italian pizzeria Bel-Sit in Woodford.

However, it seems as though the parking ticket didn’t get her too down as Gemma was seen beaming upon ripping it off of her windscreen.

She appeared to be enjoying the British sunshine, too, as temperatures reached 28 degrees Celsius on what was the hottest day of 2026 so far.

The reality star’s outing comes just days after she was involved in a campaign that was branded “tone deaf” by the public.

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Gemma appeared in videos in collaboration with the Department for Education.

The clips, released earlier this week, show Gemma marching into an office to discuss learning with the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

In one instalment, she prattles on about King Richard III and states “not many youngsters would know who he is today”.

The “GC”, who left school at 16 with a single GCSE — a G in maths — goes on: “Whatever you’re learning, make sure you concentrate because you’re going to be taking it into your future career.”

The videos have been ridiculed by mums and dads, with one joking: “I hadn’t thought of just saying ‘concentrate’. All will now be well.”

A second wrote: “What’s next? Joey Essex visits the Ministry of Defence?”

“It’s tone-deaf,” said a third.

Another said: “Many of us have had to fight every step of the way for our children to stay in school, for EHCPs, for specialist placements, and simply for our children’s needs to be recognised and understood.

“The SEND system is exhausting, adversarial, and often leaves families feeling unheard and unsupported.

“So to see the Department for Education use a celebrity with no lived experience of navigating this system feels disconnected from the reality SEN families face every day.”