Reality television star Gemma Collins has publicly confirmed she is experiencing perimenopause, sharing her personal health journey with her followers in a candid Instagram post on Tuesday.
A Candid Health Revelation
The 44-year-old media personality, who has been open about her desire to have children, told her audience she sought professional help after feeling 'a bit off lately'. In a video clip, she urged other women to listen to their bodies and not ignore potential signs.
'Hi guys, so I wanted to share with you a journey I've been on,' Gemma began. 'I've been getting the most weirdest symptoms, itchy ears, feeling a little bit more tired than usual. I was just like, I feel like there's something not right with my hormones.'
She explained her reasoning for seeking help, stating, 'I'm 44 now, and it's no secret that perimenopause can creep up on you at any time, and I've just been a bit worried about it.'
Finding Support and Relief
The star revealed she contacted the clinical team at Voy, a move that left her with a 'weight lifted off my mind'. She heaped praise on her doctor, Dr. Sally, for making her feel heard and supported.
'Dr Sally has been there for me, and I've had a chat with her, she has literally put my mind so at rest,' Gemma shared. 'She's been incredible, I didn't feel embarrassed to ask her anything... Dr Sally has reassured me, the Voy care is ten ten, everything (has) made me feel so relieved, so listened to as a woman.'
She also confirmed she had been given a blood test kit to use at home as part of her ongoing care.
Alongside the video, she captioned the post: 'Sharing my perimenopause journey because none of us should feel alone.' She expanded on this, writing, 'Ladies, if something doesn't feel right, listen to your body. There is help out there and you absolutely can feel better.'
Understanding Perimenopause and Gemma's Fertility Journey
According to the NHS, perimenopause is when you have symptoms of menopause, but your periods have not stopped. It ends, and you reach menopause, when you have not had a period for 12 months.
This health update is deeply interwoven with Gemma's long-standing and public journey with fertility. She has been incredibly candid about her wish to have children and has previously shared that she has faced several miscarriages.
Her fertility challenges include having a low number of AMH hormones, meaning a limited egg supply, and a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which directly affects the ovaries.
After struggling to conceive naturally, she and her fiancé, businessman Rami Hawash, have considered surrogacy. Gemma has also revealed she is open to fostering, inspired by her own mother who was fostered as a child.
Gemma has suffered three known miscarriages. The first occurred in 2012, a second during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and a third just months later in July 2020 with her ex-boyfriend James Argent.
Despite these struggles, the star refuses to give up on her dream of motherhood and thinks about her losses 'every day'. She has recently transformed her lifestyle, dropping from a size 26 to a 20, in the hope it will aid her fertility.
She told OK! Magazine, 'I don't want to be an overweight mum... I want to run and play with my kid.' She has also claimed that her weight loss journey has helped manage her health conditions, even stating that diet guru Steve Bennett helped reverse her PCOS, though the NHS notes that PCOS can be managed but not cured.
