Positive style has earned Gemma a place in the sun
FASHION EXPERT DIVIDES HER TIME BETWEEN UK AND IBIZA
A NOTTINGHAMSHIRE mum has opened up on what life is like for her as a stylist working with A-list celebrities.
Celebrity stylist Gemma Sheppard, a resident fashion expert on Channel 5 show 10 Years Younger in 10 Days, now lives between Ibiza and the UK with her husband and three children.
Gemma has been a part of the industry for 25 years and has worked with the likes of Tess Daly, Ashley Roberts and Dannii Minogue.
She also became lead stylist on The X Factor in 2014 and the following year joined both Britain’s Got Talent in the same role and the BBC’S Strictly Come Dancing.
She also runs a successful style consultancy, Sheppardstyle.
Gemma, 45, grew up in Langar and attended Toot Hill School in Bingham before studying at Guildford School of Acting after receiving a scholarship from Nottinghamshire County Council.
Despite her success, the stylist has not forgotten her roots and returns to the county to visit her mum whenever she can.
She said: “I’m a massive fan of Langar Hall, I had my first ever job there when I was 13 and I got married there, too.
“It is a very big part of my life. The Martin’s Arms at Colston Bassett is a great pub, a lovely country pub.
“There’s something majestic about Colston Bassett, I love the tranquillity there.”
Gemma said the past seven years living in Ibiza has given herself and her family “an amazing life”, but she is considering where to settle post-pandemic.
The mum-of-three to Otto, 15 and twins Tallulah and Asa, 14, said the Spanish lifestyle has given her children a “majestic experience”.
She said: “We relocated to the UK to film the show from October through to January.
“It was really exciting, I felt very lucky even though it was strange to film during a pandemic.
“It is a very real and very kind show, there is something very beautiful about that reveal at the end. It displays people’s vulnerability in a very honest way.
“We had huge viewing figures for the first episode and that is something we can be proud of.”
Gemma’s role on 10 Years Younger in 10 Days is to style the women ahead of their transformation reveal.
She said the women and men she has worked with have “a lot of vulnerability” but she gives them the confidence to “play dress-up” with her.
She added: “The beauty of the show is bringing out what a lot of people feel but don’t talk about.
“I’ve always had a real sense of who I am but I have realised throughout my career that inner confidence is not something everyone has.”
Gemma puts her success down to “never being afraid to walk through a door of opportunity”.
“It’s a positive way to live life. I’ve embraced every step of my career and never taken anything for granted,” she said.
Gemma would “never say never” to moving back to Nottinghamshire permanently and she still has a home in the county.
She added: “I loved growing up in Nottingham, it was very forward-thinking with the fashion industry.
“It had such a great stealth of small boutiques and shops, it felt like a very free city.
“I still visit regularly and we’ve got friends and family there.”
10 Years Younger in 10 Days is now on its second season and airs Thursdays at 9pm on Channel 5.