Gemma’s close pal: “Removing toxic people from her life has helped heal her”
As it’s revealed Gemma Collins is fronting a documentary about her self-harming struggles, her pal, Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Nicole Sealey, tells Closer how she hopes it will help her find happiness
SHE’S HAD HER BATTLES BUT SHE’S IN GOOD PLACE NOW
She’s found fame as a megaconfident, sassy and no-nonsense reality star diva – but Gemma Collins is set to show her more vulnerable side in a documentary about her mental health struggles.
The former TOWIE star,
40, is partnering with mental health charity Mind for the documentary Gemma Collins: Self Harm & Me, which is set to air on Channel 4 later this year. The programme will highlight the rise of self-harming over the last decade and the emotional struggles behind it.
HEARTACHE
Gemma spoke of her personal struggles with self-harm in an interview with Piers Morgan earlier this year. She explained that her first trigger was in her 20s when she had an abortion.
After being advised to have a termination due to pregnancy complications, Gemma explained how the subsequent heartache led to her selfharming, and even showed her scars on air, expressing that they “remind her of how far she has come.”
And while Gemma – also known as “The GC” – appears confident and bubbly in TV appearances and on her social media pages, her close pal Nicole Sealey – who she met in 2011 – tells Closer that behind her outgoing appearance, Gemma is a vulnerable woman.
Nicole, 46, says, “Gemma is someone who, from the outside, looks so incredibly confident – but she has had her struggles. A lot goes on with her behind closed doors. She’s had her battles, but she’s in a good place and has learned to remove toxic people and things from her life.”
As well as struggling in her early twenties – when she had her abortion – Gemma has had a tough time since finding fame, too. Since first appearing on TOWIE in 2011, she’s been open about feeling down about her weight, and has revealed how being fat-shamed left her in tears.
TURBULENT
She’s also talked about how her dream of having a family has been hanging in the balance after she had a number of miscarriages – her most recent last year – and last summer she revealed she suffered with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which could affect her chances of becoming a mum.
She’s also had a turbulent love life. Her on/off relationship with co-star James “Arg” Argent – who has fought addictions to drink and drugs – hit the headlines a number of times, and came to a bitter end last year when messages emerged of him cruelly calling her a “hippo” and a “fat f***”.
She said in an interview last year, “I am easily offended. I am vulnerable. I do wear my heart on my sleeve... I know I’m a celeb, but that doesn’t make me immune to heartbreak.”
Gemma is now dating her former fiancé Rami Hawash – and sparked new engagement rumours last week when she was seen with a huge ring on her wedding finger. And while Closer previously reported how Arg’s rekindled friendship with his ex Lydia Bright had upset Gemma, Nicole says removing toxic people from her life has helped Gemma massively.
She says, “We’ve spoken about her break-ups – Gemma has found it extremely difficult. Certain relationships she’s been in weren’t within her control and that’s incredibly hard to deal with. But now she’s removed negative people and things from her life and it’s helped her heal. She knows that’s how to handle things now.
“I think – as tough as it is –
things like self harm can be a forever problem. Even though you might have it under control, it’s always there. Whether it be self-harming or maybe food issues, it’s easy to fall back into a bad place, especially when you’re under stress, so you’ve got to work to keep yourself on track.”
And Nicole adds that she’s hoping the documentary will be good for Gemma’s wellbeing.
Nicole says, “For her to open up about it will be good therapy for her and help her heal. She’s throwing herself into exercise now, which is known to be a great stress release and releases endorphins, so that’s great. And she has a closeknit circle of friends too who she knows are always there for her. I just want her to be happy.
BRAVE
“Gemma’s got a huge amount of young fans who look up to her. Hopefully it will encourage others who are suffering to seek help. I think her speaking out about it on the documentary will do so much good and is very brave of her.”