Web punters push bingo haul to £1bn
has also appeared on Sugar Free Farm, Celebrity MasterChef, Big Brother (again), All Together Now Celebrities, and Channel 5’s In Therapy – all thanks to a knack of stealing the limelight.
There was the trapdoor fall at 2017’s Radio 1 Teen Awards, that supershoulder padded dress at that year’s ITV’s Summer Party, and an excruciating interview about her book The GC: How to Be a Diva which led the reporter to ask: “Have you read the book?” Gemma later admitted she had not exactly slaved at a keyboard, telling Loose Women: “Well, I didn’t sit writing it. They said, ‘How about we get someone to walk around with you with a dictaphone?’.” Whether she is conscious of spewing the one-liners is unclear but Gemma is no dumb Essex girl (she’s not an Essex girl at all, she was born in London borough Romford). The daughter of working-class parents Alan and Joan went to Sylvia Young Stage School and fell in love with musicals. A stage career never took off so she jumped at the next best thing: reality TV. Somewhat candidly, she has quietly admitted that sometimes she wonders if she should have been more careful what she wished for. Despite being proud of her plus-sized clothes line, her fame has put an unfair focus on her weight.
She said in 2017: “I felt more beautiful before I went on TV, I get so much criticism. I suffered from anxiety a little while ago and took tablets. There’ve been days when I think I can’t do this any more.”
So is the rude, self-serving alter-ego The GC just a release from that anxiety?
Away from the cameras, her worries have been real. She claimed the reason she was so upset in the jungle was that she had been attacked by an ex-boyfriend just before she flew to Oz. He strongly denied the claims, but police confirmed they had been called to her address.
Then there was the broken engagement with Rami Hawash. Their threeyear-relationship ended in 2014 with his claims that she threw an Indian takeaway over him in a row. Even her current man Arg famously cheated on her. And her mum Joan had rheumatoid arthritis, spending three years in a wheelchair and was only able to walk again days before Gemma entered CBB.
Yet Gemma’s brand kept getting bigger. The more strife in her life the less she seemed to want to be painted as a victim.
Almost in the same sentence as she admitted struggling with fame, Gemma delivered the classic quote: “The Range Rover lifestyle just become normal to me. Last Range Rover, I didn’t get the buzz.”
Whether she has zero self-awareness, or just knows how to get people talking about her, she is not going to be short of work for a long time. She summed the reason up when she promised Big Brother: “I’ll make it TV gold for you.” MILLIONS of households promised cheaper energy bills have been warned they face a £100 a year rise.
Regulator Ofgem introduced a price cap on standard variable tariffs on January 1, which cut the average bill by £76 a year.
But experts warn Ofgem may next month announce an increase in the cap – the most energy firms can charge – which would take effect on April 1.
Analysts Cornwall Insight say it may rise 10% for dual-fuel customers.
Rik Smith at comparison site uSwitch said: “It looks like the cap is going to increase between £80-£100, wiping out any savings made.” THE rise of online bingo has sent the game’s contribution to our economy soaring to £1billion a year.
Buzz Bingo said some 5.6 million now play as web versions transform the sector, pushing earnings above those of Spotify and Netflix combined.
A report for the site by MIDiA Research also said 74% say it puts them in a more positive mood.
It comes days before Blue Monday – said to be the year’s most depressing day for people.
Buzz Bingo chief Chris Matthews said: “Bingo is a fun activity in a world where social media and divisive politics can make us feel pessimistic.”