All the great divas have a larger-than-life alter ego: think Beyoncé and Sasha Fierce, Mariah Carey and Mimi, and Christina Aguilera and Xtina. But, according to insiders, the fiercest diva of them all is ready to give her final curtain call.
Yes, it’s time to say goodbye to The GC, and hello to the real Gemma Collins.
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“Gem doesn’t have the energy to be The GC right now,” says an insider close to the reality star, who’s been through the wringer over the past month, with her dad Alan battling the coronavirus.
“With everything she’s going through, she’s finding it hard to put on her showbiz smile for everyone. Taking time out has made her realise how much of a character she has created and she’s had enough of it. She’s really tired and just wants to be herself. Whenever she’s out, people expect her to be firing on all cylinders. But lockdown has given her the space to weigh up what’s really important.”
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?
Last month, Gemma – who recently turned 40 – opened up to her followers about how “tough” it has been, adding that she’s had “one awful time of it”. But lockdown has brought her close to on/off boyfriend James “Arg” Argent, and they’ve decided to give things another go. He’s supported her through this and she’s supporting him through his well-documented drink, drug and eating issues.
But being there for both Arg and her dad – who’s slowly recovering and is now out of hospital – is proving a strain for Gemma – especially as she’s been honest about how much she relies on her dad, even letting him control her finances to stop her splashing the cash.
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So, it’s no surprise that she’s finding it harder than ever to summon her strength and brave the world as the fearless GC right now. And this has also made Gemma realise that she’s got to start taking her responsibilities as a role model seriously – and she now wants to be a humanitarian, like Sir David Attenborough.
“If these youngsters are looking up at me, I need to do the right thing by them and spread the right word and the right message,” she admitted recently. “I don’t need any more designer handbags or shoes. I’ve just really grown as a person. I think you get to a certain stage in your life – you’ve earned the money, and in the end, you need to look a bit deeper.”
As she says, “There’s more to life than a naked Instagram selfie.”
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine – OUT NOW.