As the straight-talking queen of memes she has won legions of fans with her hilarious one-liners, flamboyant personality and body confidence.
And Gemma Collins has revealed to The Sun she is on a mission to slim down from a size 24 as she is ‘desperate’ for a baby, but that she is subject to abuse when she exercises.
The bubbly blonde TOWIE star, 36, who revealed she is now the heaviest she has ever been, said she has been spurred on to lose weight amid fertility issues which include Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and a low egg count.
Mission: Gemma Collins has revealed to The Sun she is on a mission to slim down from a size 24 as she is ‘desperate’ for a baby, but that she is subject to abuse when she exercises
Baby dreams: The bubbly blonde TOWIE star, 36, who revealed she is now the heaviest she has ever been, said she has been spurred on to lose weight amid fertility issues which include Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and a low egg count (pictured above at a size 12 in 2011)
Gemma said: ‘I’m not saying I’ll get to a size 10 but I do need to lose weight. For my health I wouldn’t want to be bigger than I am now.
‘I refuse to have a gastric band as easy as it would be. I have overcome so many things in my life and I will overcome my weight – but I need time and focus to do it.’
Last year Gemma was given the devastating news on TOWIE that her egg count was low and that her weight would significantly hinder her chances of conceiving.
But Gemma says that working out can be difficult due to her fame, with one fan even filming when she was on the treadmill.
The GC: Gemma said: ‘I’m not saying I’ll get to a size 10 but I do need to lose weight. For my health I wouldn’t want to be bigger than I am now’
Weight battle: The star said ‘I refuse to have a gastric band as easy as it would be. I have overcome so many things in my life and I will overcome my weight – but I need time and focus to do it’ (pictured in 2011 left and Aug 2017 right)
‘People abuse me when I exercise. If I try to go to the gym or do power walking with my friend near where I live, people shout obscenities out the window,’ she said.
Gemma says her weight issues are down to PCOS rather than binge-eating and claims to have the metabolism of a 47-year-old.
A defiant Gemma also said weight comments never bother her because of the journey she has been on in her career and life.
The star said she can go all day without eating, but when she takes part in all-day shoots for TOWIE, pizzas get delivered on set .
She first started using food as a coping mechanism when she was 26, after breaking up with her boyfriend and suffering a miscarriage.
Defiant: But Gemma says that working out can be difficult due to her fame, with one fan even filming when she was on the treadmill
Mellow yellow: Gemma says her weight issues are down to PCOS rather than binge-eating and claims to have the metabolism of a 47-year-old
She said a typical lunch then would consist of two sausage rolls and a Twix.
Gemma said a change in attitude and accepting herself for who she was had helped her conquer her emotional eating and she has now regained her confidence and quit taking anti-anxiety medication.
Although she revealed she was left devastated when a plus size brand said she was ‘too heavy’ to model for them, Gemma has since had her moment of crowning glory as the glamorous face of Boohoo’s Curve Collection.
The star is also in touch with her spiritual side and calls herself a ‘white witch’ due to being guided by her intuition.
Speaking about her jaw-dropping tumble through a trap door at the Radio 1 Teen Awards which sparked a million memes, Gemma confirmed she will not be taking legal action even though she believes she ‘could’ve died’ in the incident.
Gemma also raised eyebrows with her 80s inspired orange shoulderpad dress at the ITV summer ball which made many a worst-dressed list and even got her noticed stateside.
The star brushed off the criticisms saying she ‘loved’ the dress and felt like Dynasty’s Alexis Carrington in it.
The body confident star, who has her own plus-size clothing range, also spoke about her decision to wear a racy mesh swimsuit on a holiday to Tenerife, saying she felt sexy and there was no reason why a ‘big girl’ shouldn’t wear it.
Tumble: Speaking about her jaw-dropping tumble through a trap door at the Radio 1 Teen Awards which sparked a million memes, Gemma confirmed she will not be taking legal action even though she believes she ‘could’ve died’ in the incident