Gemma, born 31 January 1981, is an English media personality and businesswoman. From 2011 to 2019, she appeared on the ITVBe reality series “The Only Way Is Essex.” Collins then went on to appear in numerous television shows, including “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” (2014), “Celebrity Big Brother” (2016), “Celebs Go Dating” (2018), and “Dancing on Ice” (2019). In 2018, she began starring in her own reality franchise, “Gemma Collins: Diva,” and the following year, she began hosting a podcast on BBC Sounds. In 2022, Collins fronted a Channel 4 documentary special titled “Gemma Collins: Self Harm & Me.”
Collins’ first appearance on television was in the ITV documentary “Snobs,” which aired on 13 January 2000. The series focused on people who believed they were a different class. Following her appearance on the show, Collins visited an agent who told her that she “had charisma but was too fat to be on TV,” suggesting she should lose two stone.
In 2011, Julie Childs, mother of Collins’ friend Amy, suggested to producers of the ITV2 reality series “The Only Way Is Essex” that Collins, who was a used-car saleswoman at the time, would be an appropriate subject. They went to Collins’ house, then filmed her and her friends for two weeks. After going back to work selling cars for a week, she was cast in the programme and began appearing in “The Only Way Is Essex” from its second series in 2011; her first-ever scene was selling a car to Kirk Norcross. While appearing on the programme, Collins opened a clothes boutique.
In April 2013, Collins released her autobiography, Basically…: My Life as a Real Essex Girl, which became a bestseller in its first week of release. In January 2014, Collins took part in the second series of the ITV diving competition “Splash!” During training, Collins suffered severe bruising and admitted she had to overcome a fear of water. She became the third celebrity to be eliminated after losing the splash-off to Michaela Strachan in the first heat. In November 2014, she took part in the 14th series of “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” on ITV. She withdrew after spending 72 hours in the jungle, due to health issues.
On 5 January 2016, she entered the “Celebrity Big Brother” house to participate in the 17th series. On 2 February 2016, she became the seventh housemate to be evicted, having received the fewest votes to be saved, spending a total of 29 days in the house. In October 2016, Collins appeared on Sky News, where she was interviewed by Kay Burley about the campaign to remove the term “Essex girl” from the Oxford English Dictionary. Collins described the definition, which stereotypes Essex girls as “unintelligent, promiscuous, and materialistic,” as derogatory and suggested that the meaning be changed. The expression was removed from the dictionary in December 2020.
In October 2017, Collins presented the BBC Radio 1 Teen Award for Best TV Show to “Love Island” and, after announcing the winner, fell through an opening in the stage. The clip later went viral on social media. In an interview with Irish News, Collins said “the seriousness of it is, it could have been really fatal.” After the clip’s widespread attention, further videos of Collins were used as memes, including scenes from her appearances on “The Only Way Is Essex” and “Celebrity Big Brother.” In November 2017, Collins collaborated with fashion website Boohoo.com to release a clothing range aimed at plus-size women. The following year, she went on to release a collection of swimwear with the retailer.
In February 2018, she took part in the fourth series of “Celebs Go Dating.”
In June 2018, she released her second book, The GC: How to Be a Diva, in which she provides advice and self-help for women to gain confidence. In an interview on “Loose Women,” she admitted to using a ghostwriter. She also guest-starred in a promotional advert for Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.”
Collins went on to appear in “Gemma Collins: Diva España,” a one-off reality television special aired on 29 August 2018. In September 2018, Collins took part in the 13th series of “Celebrity MasterChef.”
On 24 December 2018, Collins took part in a one-off celebrity special of “All Together Now.” Collins first performed “Big Spender” by Shirley Bassey, where she received a score of 88 after impressing the judges with her vocal ability, securing her a place in the top three. She then sang “This Is Me” by Keala Settle and The Greatest Showman ensemble, and subsequently finished in third place with a score of 39.
In 2019, Collins took part in the 11th series of “Dancing on Ice,” alongside professional partner Matt Evers. While competing in the series, Collins had an onscreen argument with judge Jason Gardiner, who made comments about her weight. In week four, Collins suffered a fall during a live performance. She fell on her face, nearly breaking her jaw and neck, and injured her knee significantly. Despite the fall, the couple received their highest scores of the competition and progressed to the next week. In week six, they became the fifth couple to be eliminated, following a skate-off against Ryan Sidebottom and his professional partner, Brandee Malto.
In April 2019, Collins began filming for her own reality series, “Gemma Collins: Diva Forever,” which first aired on 7 August 2019 on ITVBe. The pilot episode premiered to a total of 673,038 viewers and was the most watched episode on ITVBe in that week. “Diva Forever” was subsequently renewed by ITV for a second series, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production was suspended. As a result, Collins filmed a new reality series, “Gemma Collins: Diva on Lockdown,” from her home in Brentwood. In August 2019, Collins began hosting a podcast on BBC Sounds, “The Gemma Collins Podcast.” In September 2019, Collins released her debut perfume, Diva Pink.
In July 2020, Collins became the face of low-cost airline Wizz Air. Upon being appointed brand ambassador, Collins said, “Anyone who knows me knows I am all about holidays, so Wizz have come to the right person for some travel inspo! Whether it’s siestas and fiestas in Marbs or sunbathing and dancing through the night on a Greek island, I have got a tip or two up my sleeve. Now we can all fly like the GC!”
In August 2020, Collins began hosting a second podcast on BBC Sounds, “The Gemma Collins Love Lounge.” In September 2020, Collins announced her collaboration with fashion company InTheStyle, debuting her first plus-size collection with the brand. In October 2020, “Gemma Collins: Diva Forever & Ever” premiered on ITVBe. She also collaborated with Zymurgorium, a distillery in Manchester, to launch her own premium gin liqueur as part of the company’s “FlaGINgo” range.
On 11 December 2020, Collins released a charity single, a cover of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” alongside her “Celebrity Big Brother” co-star, Darren Day, with proceeds from the single going towards Rethink Mental Illness. The music video was released at the end of “Gemma Collins: Diva for Xmas,” which aired on 9 December 2020. In February 2021, Collins appeared on “Piers Morgan’s Life Stories,” where she discussed her early life, career, relationships, and miscarriages, as well as struggles with her weight and online trolling.
In August 2021, Collins was announced as the new face of the laundry detergent brand Surf. She released her own limited-edition detergent and capsules as part of the company’s “Diva Divine” range, exclusive to Asda supermarkets.
In February 2021, Collins fronted a documentary on Channel 4 titled “Gemma Collins: Self Harm & Me,” where she opened up for the first time about her personal relationship with self-harm and spoke to experts investigating what is behind the rise in cases of self-harm in the United Kingdom. In April 2022, Collins is set to embark on her first live theatre tour, The GC’s Big Night Out. Performing in venues across the UK, the seven-date tour was announced on 19 April 2021. It was originally scheduled to take place between 15–24 October 2021 but was postponed due to logistical issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
During her time on “The Only Way Is Essex,” Collins earned a reputation for being a diva. Her alter-ego was first created during the show’s third series, when Sam Faiers referred to her as “The GC.” Collins describes her alter-ego as an “invention” and says she and The GC are “very different people.” Speaking in 2020, she said, “Although I’m Gemma Collins, I’ve got my brand, The GC. Gemma Collins is a homely girl who loves watering hanging baskets. The GC, which is my brand, is basically a character that’s over the top that people either love her or hate her. But on the back of her, I’ve managed to launch perfumes and lipsticks.” Collins embraces the term “diva” and says the word “empowers her.” Her influences include Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Dolly Parton.
Collins is a supporter of animal rights. She has appeared in numerous campaigns for the animal-rights organisation PETA. In 2013, she posed naked for the “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign. In 2020, Collins was photographed in a bathtub to highlight the fact that marine animals are separated from their families and confined to concrete tanks. In 2021, she posed with a skinned fox as she backed the campaign to end the fur trade in the United Kingdom. Addressing the prime minister, Boris Johnson, Collins said, “Take it from an icon, Boris, no one needs fur in their wardrobe. Do the right thing: ban fur imports and sales. Let’s wear our skin and let the animals keep theirs.” Speaking on her podcast, Collins expressed her interest in becoming a humanitarian and said she wishes to promote conservation and animal welfare to the next generation.
