Look out, Leo Dicaprio – Gemma Collins tells us she’s ready to take on Hollywood
The Queen of Essex has got her eyes on world domination as Gemma Calvert finds out
The telephone call that every journalist on a deadline dreads arrives one minute before we’re due to catch up with Gemma Collins: the interview is on hold. She’s poorly and needs to see a doctor, and an update (the publicist promises on the The GC’S behalf) will follow. In the fickle world of celeb, this is usually shorthand for one thing – the interview is most definitely not happening. Yet we soon discover that reality TV’S No.1 diva is a woman true to her word, because within 90 minutes, Gemma is on the blower from her London hotel room (albeit coughing, spluttering and sneezing). She explains she’s suffering after spending six hours in a freezing London park shooting an advert for Well&truly crisps. Instead of going home to rest, her manager Mark convinced her to go to swanky London eatery Hakkasan, which not only catapulted Gemma off her post-christmas healthy eating regime, but escalated her niggling sniffle to full-blown streaming cold status.
But the 38 year old hasn’t got the time for self-pity. After our chat, she’s recording her first podcast of the year, which launched in 2019 on the BBC to rave reviews. Last year, she also competed in Dancing On Ice (and appeared on the festive edition), returned to TOWIE, and launched her own outrageous five-part reality TV series Diva Forever. Then, there was the launch of her clothes boutique in Marbella, plus numerous trips abroad – and why not, when you’re reportedly worth a cool £3.2m? “Last year was good, but 2020, I’m coming to clean up,” she proclaims. “I’m going to take every goddamn opportunity that’s put my way. Work is my main drive and focus this year.”
Her professional reinvention is clearly a welcome distraction from the pain of her personal life. Just days earlier, Gemma’s on/off boyfriend James “Arg” Argent, 32, reportedly flew to Thailand, where he checked into a £20k-a-month “specialist facility” to commit to recovery after allegedly being “rushed to hospital” over fears he had “suffered a drug overdose”. Poor Gem. She might be one of the most Marmite celebrities on the planet but, love her or loathe her, you can’t help but sympathise. It’s certainly no surprise that specific talk of relationships today is off-limits, but she’s happy to wax lyrical about everything from baby making plans and her ongoing belief in true love, to why karma caught up with her Dancing On Ice nemesis Jason Gardiner.
Gem, we salute you!
So, Gem, have you set yourself any New Year’s resolutions? You know what? I haven’t, because I don’t like putting too much pressure on myself. I just said my New Year’s resolution is to be happy and work hard. I haven’t put myself on any strict dieting goals. Small changes daily can lead to big things. You’ve lost 3st recently – well done! I have! I’m still a curvy lady and it is something that I always have to work at, but I don’t put that pressure on myself any more. It’s just, as I say, little changes daily. Are you vegetarian now? I’m flexitarian, really. Last week, I went and got Quorn cocktail sausages and some cauliflower bites and it all looked lovely. I’m not going to lie, it’s just keeping in mind the reason why I am doing this, which is because I can’t bear the cruelty to animals. But it opens up such a big pond because I wear leather shoes and I buy leather handbags so, where do you stop with it all? I think it’s about being a bit more conscious. What do you think about Simon Cowell’s vegan transformation? He’s got very, very, very small. I think it’s amazing. He’s a very positive figure in the public eye and he has done it, stuck to it and he looks a million dollars, so well done, Simon. He probably feels so much better as well.
I love being out in the woods and nature, so that’s something I’m going to master this year. What’s happening with the single you’re releasing with Naughty Boy? Basically, we’ve met and have got some ideas in motion. Oh, hang on, this is Dawn, one minute [Gemma answers a call to her friend, Real Housewives star Dawn Ward]. “Dawn! You was fantastic! I’ll ring you back in a minute, I’m just doing a phone interview.” Yeah, go on… Er, so is the track with Naughty Boy coming soon? Yeah. Mark, what’s happening with it? [Mark, Gemma’s manager, who is listening in on the interview, explains, “It’s just a matter of finding a time in their schedules because he’s been in the States and Gemma’s got to start filming a new series very soon.”] Ooh, so is another series of Diva Forever coming? Yeah, I’ve got two more
Divas coming out.
Dancing On Ice is back. Are you hankering to do it again? No! No! It was really good, but it was time for me to bow out gracefully and let the others work their magic, and I think they are absolutely fantastic. Jason Gardiner’s resigned. Are you pleased he’s gone? You know, I’m not pleased for anyone’s misfortune, but karma’s a funny thing, isn’t it? And I wish him well. Jason said ITV didn’t support him enough during your disagreements. What’s your take on that? I read that. I don’t think they didn’t support him. I just think we’re living in a time now in TV where you have to think about people’s mental health and how people feel, so they’ve got to be very PC now in TV. It’s a good thing they’re being more caring towards people’s feelings. You’ve also worked closely with Phillip Schofield on Dancing On Ice. What do you make of reports that he’s difficult to work with? I think he’s really lovely. I’ve never seen anything like that when I’ve been in his company. He’s always been absolutely charming to me. I can only speak as I find. You seem to work very hard. Do you actually have time to sleep? Generally, I go to bed about nine or ten o’clock, I wake up at four o’clock in the morning and I’m ready to start my day. The brain starts ticking. Every day I wake up and I’m thinking, “What can I achieve in my life today?” And what do you want to achieve today? I’m starting my podcast, so today, I need to achieve wellness in myself because I feel so unwell, and I don’t want to let anyone down for work. You must be so proud of the podcast, which has been a huge hit for the BBC… I am, and I really enjoy it. I’m very, very lucky and grateful. Any plans to do a Hollywood film? I know I will go to Hollywood one day, I know I’m going to be Leonardo Dicaprio’s leading lady one day. I dream big, I think big. I think everything in your mind, you can manifest it. When I watch Rebel Wilson, I just think she’s me. I could play her. Could she play you in a film biopic? Definitely! I won’t stop. I’d like to be as famous as Lady Gaga, to be honest. I really would.
Do you worry that shouting about your achievements could be misconstrued as arrogance? No. I don’t give two hoots what anyone thinks about me. I know who I am, I know what I bring to the table. I’m confident in myself. when do you feel the most vulnerable? Before I go to bed, if I don’t feel well, it would be nice to have a cuddle, but you know – I’m a tough woman. You just gotta get on with it. Make yourself a cuppa tea, go to bed, wake up, repeat. You know? Knowing what you know now, what would you tell 16-year-old Gemma? Don’t take no shit from no one. Did you used to? Yeah. In my personal life, I’ve always been a little bit vulnerable. But as you get older, you think, “Nah, forget that. I ain’t having that.” what’s your top tip for success? Put your mind to it – live, breathe, eat it. You’ve got to focus on it 24 hours a day. You have to make it your whole movement and don’t let anyone stand in your way. The magic’s from within. is there anything you wouldn’t do or say in the name of making good tv? No, there is a magic to my… what’s the word? There’s always a method to my madness. what do you mean? Well, basically, no one’s me and that’s a very good saying. No one is you and that’s your superpower. The reason why I’m top of the reality game is because I don’t hold nothing back on TV, and I owe that to my fans. They have to see what goes on behind the scenes. what’s your take on the Harry and Meghan debacle? I think the way Meghan was treated was appalling and I don’t blame ’em for doing what they’re doing. I do think they should have spoke to the Queen first, but also, we don’t know what’s gone on behind the scenes. You dipped your toes into politics this year. Can you see yourself becoming an MP? Oh no, honey. I’m too fabulous to be an MP. I’m going to be cracking Hollywood! Do you hope to one day become a Dame? Absolutely! I have given a lot of entertainment to the UK and, literally, I do feel that, one day, it is going to happen. One day, I’d love to be on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories. I really like Piers – I like people who are opinionated. I’m not intimidated by people like that. I welcome it. what’s the biggest misconception about you? That I’m a diva! er, Gemma, it’s the name of your tv show and your 2018 book was titled How to Be A Diva… It is, it is! People who know me know it’s all a bit of a laugh and that I don’t take myself seriously. I’m a woman who knows what she wants and that should be celebrated and not looked down on. I am confident, I do know what I want and I won’t stop until I get it. Last year, you said you wanted have a baby by 40. Are you actively trying? It will happen when it happens. There’s no rush. Someone I know is 43 and has just fallen pregnant, so there’s a lot of hope out there. Do you still believe in love? Do I still believe in love? Yeah, definitely! n
Feeling #naughty-ish? Resolutions Well&truly broken