Gemma: “Arg won’t stop me from getting my dream body!”
Insiders say Gemma Collins’ Dancing On Ice weight-loss mission has caused tension with boyfriend Arg
They’ve endured T a notoriously volatile on-off romance over the years, and after announcing she was set to star on the new series of Dancing On Ice, Gemma Collins and James “Arg” Argent are at loggerheads again – this time over dieting. Last week, 37-year-old Gemma admitted she’d put on a few pounds over the summer and was worried about taking part in the ice-skating talent show, due to air in January. She said, “I don’t know 1) how they are going to lift me up and 2) how fast I can move around that ice, but I really want to give it a go. Me and Arg have been on holiday a lot in the summer and we’ve put on a bit of weight.”
BAD INFLUENCE
Friends have previously said that the TOWIE pair, who have been dating officially since last Christmas, are a bad influence on each other’s diets, with their co-star Tommy Mallett once saying, “They shouldn’t be together because all they do when they’re with each other is eat.” Now insiders say that Arg, 30 – who Gemma has admitted to “indulging in takeaways” with – hasn’t been hugely supportive of her upcoming stint on Dancing On Ice. A source says, “Gemma’s decision to go on the show has caused some tension between her and Arg. They love romantic meals and finding
new places to eat together – it’s what keeps them close. Gemma says she’s keen to get healthier to make sure she’s in shape for the show, and wants to ditch the takeaways and lazy nights in. But she feels Arg is almost laughing at the idea of her getting into fitness. She feels he’s making things difficult and not being supportive enough. He’s still wolfing down takeaways, but she wants to turn over a new leaf.”
And Arg appeared to signal to fans that he was happy with his size in an Insta post last week, writing, “Although I’ve gained a lot of weight, on the inside I’m in a great place!”
Last month, Closer reported how Gemma – whose weight has fluctuated between a size 12 and a size 20, and is currently a size 18 – was keen to capitalise on her and Arg’s plus-size figures and land a lucrative weight-loss deal. Last week, the reality star revealed that she was hoping her stint on DOI, with its hardcore training schedule, would help her achieve her weight-loss goal. She said, “The training is going to be intense, but I hear you really shape-up doing the show so I might come out with the dream body after all.”
The source adds, “Gemma is hoping the show will help her tone up and wants to throw herself into the training. She wants Arg to get active with her, too. Her target is a size 14 and she’s told Arg she won’t let him throw her off her schedule. She wants them to encourage each other to get fit with healthy meals and trips to the gym, but she has her doubts that he’s into the idea.”
LAUGHING STOCK
After being announced as a contestant, Gemma – who is no stranger to reality shows, with stints including Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celeb!– faced trolling and mockery on social media, with critics saying, “Watching Gemma Collins on Dancing On Ice is going to be actual comedy gold” and that she’ll be “like a hippo on skates”.
But insiders insist that Gemma is determined not to be a laughing stock on the show and wants to prove that if she puts her mind to something, she can follow through.
“Gemma was upset by all the trolling. She can have a laugh about her weight, but some of the comments were really cruel and the last thing she wants to feel is unattractive or like she’s the joke act. She hasn’t always done that well in past reality shows, but feels this is her chance to prove to everyone that she does have focus and determination. She wants to prove the trolls wrong and give it her best shot.”