Gemma Collins has revealed she is struggling with perimenopause symptoms, including memory loss and emotional instability. The 44-year-old former TOWIE star took to Instagram to express her frustration, saying she had lost two sets of car keys in one week and could not remember anything.
Collins, who appeared on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, described the experience as 'bizarre' and 'an out of body experience'. She pleaded with followers for help, asking if anyone could recommend remedies or use 'witchy powers' to locate her keys.
Fans suggested Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and exercise, while former Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley, 45, commented, 'I feel ya hunny.' A source close to Collins said she is 'quite emotional' and that the perimenopause has 'hit her quite hard'.
Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause, typically beginning in a woman's forties. Symptoms can include irregular periods, hot flushes, night sweats, and memory or concentration problems, according to NHS guidance. Collins first spoke about her perimenopause last November, mentioning unusual symptoms such as itchy ears and fatigue.
Collins, who also has Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), has previously spoken about other side effects, including irritation at her fiancé Rami Hawash's eating sounds and low libido. She joked that she now makes her partner and dogs wear name tags because she cannot remember their names.
Despite these challenges, Collins is busy filming her own reality show, Four Weddings And A Baby, for Sky, which follows her journey to marriage and motherhood. She has suffered three miscarriages and is undergoing IVF, vowing that becoming a mother 'will happen' this year.
