They say you should dress for the job you want, and it seems that Gemma Collins agrees. The 40 year old has recently been experimenting with a new look, ditching her usual out-there outfits for a more sophisticated style, which seems to pay homage to a certain TV breakfast star whose name rhymes with Wolly Hilloughby.
And last week, she even went for the chop and debuted a sleek new bob hairdo. According to insiders, it’s all part of the GC’s grand plan to land a permanent spot on the This Morning sofa, should Holly Willoughby ever choose to leave.
“She loves Holly and feels as though getting her job would be like taking over from TV royalty,” says an insider close to Gem, who seems to have hit a winning streak in her professional and personal lives over the past few months – especially since reuniting with former fiancé Rami Hawash.
“There’s so much gossip going around the TV industry right now that ITV bosses are lining up a replacement for Holly, should she ever go, and Gemma wants to put herself at the top of the list to be considered. She wanted to get her hair changed to look more like Holly to convince producers that she’s a serious contender. And she’s also been experimenting with a more sophisticated and muted look, because she knows that some of her outfit choices can be quite loud and garish. She’s made it clear she’ll do anything.”
CHECK OUT Gemma Collins' best diva moments of all time
Gemma Collins' best diva moments of all time - slider
1 of 12When Gemma paraded through the Big Brother garden with a Shetland pony
When the Celebrity Big Brother stars were asked what one-off luxury they would like to be treated to in the isolated house, what did Gemma ask for? Contact with her family? Nope. A pamper treatment? Not quite... No, the GC asked for none other than a Shetland pony - which she proceeded to dance with around the garden. While stroking the pony, Gemma exclaimed "I want pink ones with glitter in their hair".
2 of 12When Matt Evers saved Gemma's precious blow-dry from the rain
Matt Evers protects Gemma Collin's fabulous blow-dry whilst leaving himself to become soaked in the rain on the Dancing on Ice red carpet.
3 of 12When Gemma slipped during her Dancing on Ice routine
The 2019 series of Dancing on Ice is the gift that keeps on giving and poor old Gemma had viewers glued to their screens when she tripped over her foot and skidded across the ice. Ouch. The TOWIE queen soon picked herself up and styled through her ice-skating miss-hap. Jason Gardiner reportedly suggested that Gemma's fall was karma for her diva tantrum the week before.
4 of 12When Gemma's entourage fixed her dress on the NTAs red carpet
Can you even call yourself a diva if you don't enlist a personal helper on the red carpet? The GC had her entourage to hand, ready to smooth out any creases in her glamorous dress.
5 of 12When she spent 72 hours in the jungle
Gemma famously lasted just 72 hours in the I'm a Celebrity jungle, but she still managed to make the nation laugh with her outrageous behaviour. The TOWIE star even insisted "People that murdered get treated better than this, and thats the truth. Even a murderer gets fed three times a day."
6 of 12Gemma's infamous candy scene
Ah, the early days of Gemma and Arg's relationship. The GC was filmed in a Marbella special, when she famously told on/off boyfriend Arg "Don't ever disrespect a girl like that again. Take a good look at this, you ain't ever gonna get this candy.", before dropping her throw and strutting away in a black swimsuit.
7 of 12Gemma's friendship with Kim K's BFF
Gemma made pals with no other than Kim K's best-friend, Jonathan Cheban in Big Brother, where she told him "By the time you're finished with me, I'm gonna be a Gem-dashian." The stars have been friends ever since and Jonathan even flies over to the UK to visit Gemma, where the pair go on fancy shopping trips to Harrods together.
8 of 12When she was a total diva in an interview
Anyone else still cringe when they remember that painfully awkward chat between Gemma and an interviewer who hadn't read her book? The GC had a major diva-meltdown when she found out the journalist hadn't been seen a copy before holding the interview, thus ending the call, "Darling, don't worry, we're going to get the book publishers to send everyone doing an interview the book. Thank you, bye!"
9 of 12When Gemma went into full GC mode on Jason Gardiner
Dancing on Ice has been full of feisty celeb dramas. Gemma didn't hold back after Jason Gardiner accused of her being lazy. The TOWIE star furiously shouted "Boring!" before yelling, "Don't sell stories on me." Poor Matt Evers couldn't even hide how awkward he felt...
10 of 12When she dumped her date live on Loose Women
Ah, poor Laurence Hearn - the charming man that attempted to win over Gemma, only to be dumped live on Loose Women weeks later. OUCH.
11 of 12Basically, her entire time in the CBB house
Other hilarious moments from Gemma's stint in the Big Brother house included yelling at producers, "I don't need the money! I've got money!". She also got upset when Big Brother failed to provide professional blow-dries: "This is very expensive hair and its all frazzled, because you've only got straighteners in here, you haven't got heated rollers. So, you can pay for me to have a new set of extensions. Straighteners are what weirdos use on their hair."
12 of 12And when she fell down the trap door at the Teen Choice Awards
Talking of Gemma's tumbles - how could anyone forget her iconic fall down the trap door at the BBC1 Radio Teen Choice Awards?
According to our source, Gemma knows that it isn’t all about her hair and fashion sense, but it’s a good start. Once she’s proven that she can look the part, she plans to wow producers by showing them a different, more serious side to her OTT television persona.
“She wants them to know that she won’t be a loose cannon,” we’re told. “She’ll be dedicated, warm and relatable. She really feels that viewers will appreciate having a down-to-earth voice on the sofa.”
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But Holly’s job isn’t Gemma’s only priority right now. The star has always been open about her desire to have kids, and now that she’s loved-up again with Rami and boasting about their epic sex life, she’s not wasting any time in making her mum dreams a reality. Last week, the reality star revealed, “I’m ready to go all the time,” adding that she and Rami have always shared “that fire, that passion”.
And according to our source, Gem’s taking the babymaking process very seriously indeed. “They’ve been doing it up to three times a day, and Gemma’s saying she’s got more stamina now because she’s been training hard,” our insider says. “She’s joked that Rami can barely keep up with her.” That’s why we love her – whether it’s her career or her sex life, the GC always wants to do a good job.
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine – OUT NOW.