Reality TV favourite Gemma Collins left her social media followers utterly perplexed this week after sharing a heavily edited photograph from a winter getaway. The 44-year-old former The Only Way Is Essex star posted a snap from the slopes on Thursday, dressed in festive ski gear, but fans struggled to recognise her.
A Ski Trip Snap That Baffled Followers
Posing in a bright red padded coat and a white fur hat, Gemma completed her alpine look with gold Moon Boots and a pair of matching red skis. She captioned the Instagram post simply, 'Tis the season,' but the response was one of widespread confusion. One blunt follower commented, 'What’s wrong with your face? That isn’t you,' highlighting a significant photo-editing mishap that made the star appear almost unrecognisable.
Returning to Mounjaro with a Cautious New Approach
Elsewhere, Gemma has opened up about her ongoing health and weight loss journey, confirming she has resumed using the drug Mounjaro but with a new, cautious strategy. The star had previously feared the weekly injection was linked to 'agonising' health woes, specifically a gallbladder attack in August that left her in severe pain.
Speaking to The Mirror, Gemma clarified, 'I had to stop the jabs for a bit because I had a gallbladder attack in August, but they've assured me that it's not actually linked to Mounjaro.' After a break where she managed her diet, she has decided to restart the treatment with a different method. 'I think I'm going to start microdosing because I feel with the microdosing, you don't get all the [side] effects,' she explained.
A 'Life Changing' Transformation and Future Goals
Gemma's journey with the weight loss jab has been undeniably transformative. She has lost 3.5 stone and dropped from a size 26 to a size 20. Initially, she followed the guidance to increase her dosage incrementally up to the maximum 15mg a week, but she now plans to stick with the starting dose of 2.5mg, which she found most effective.
Hailing the drug as 'life changing', she added, 'I've lost about 3½st and kept it off. I just feel good. I'm never going to look stick thin. I don't want to look stick thin. It's not who I am. But it's about being healthier. So it's all going in the right direction.' Her ultimate goal is to lose a total of 6 stone from her original weight, though she insists she is not rushing to achieve it dramatically.
Medical experts note that gallbladder problems, such as gallstones, are a known but rare potential side effect of GLP-1 inhibitor drugs like Mounjaro. A spokeswoman for manufacturer Eli Lilly stated that patient safety is their top priority and that they actively monitor and report safety information to regulators like the MHRA.
