Gemma Collins, best known for her larger-than-life persona on The Only Way is Essex, has revealed a deeply personal side to her life, sharing her struggles with self-harm and a miscarriage. The 42-year-old star, who turns 42 today, has spoken candidly about her darkest chapters in a bid to help others.
In a Channel 4 documentary, Collins admitted that the public sees 'The GC', not the real Gemma. 'I'm actually a very soft, sensitive person,' she said. For 20 years, she battled self-harm, describing it as a 'coping mechanism' for the pressures of fame. She first started self-harming at school and kept it secret for two decades.
Collins revealed that her fiancé, Rami Hawash, caught her self-harming 11 years ago when they were previously dating. She told him: 'It was never about you... it was a coping mechanism.' Although she hasn't self-harmed since her early thirties, she admitted to other forms of harm, including bad relationships and unhealthy eating habits.
The star also suffered a miscarriage in 2012 at four and a half months pregnant, which she described as a major trauma. She was in a five-year relationship with a city banker at the time and didn't realise she was pregnant until she experienced severe stomach pains.
Collins has now found stability with Hawash, and the couple plans to marry and have a baby. She remains hopeful about the future, but acknowledges lingering fears about her past struggles returning.
