Gemma Collins has dropped 'from size 24 to size 20'
Reality TV star Gemma Collins shares the new diet that has transformed her life and cured her PCOS symptoms. She also reveals her wedding and baby plans.
Essex-born Gemma Collins is infamous for her starring role in TOWIE, which she appeared in from 2011 to 2019. A larger-than-life character, the 43-year-old has attracted a huge army of fans, thanks to her outgoing personality and no-nonsense attitude. A regular face on numerous other reality shows including Celebrity Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, Gemma is now set to join the line-up of stars in the new BBC series of Who Do You Think You Are?
We met her to find out more about her wedding plans, weight loss and health transformation…
You’ve spoken about following health guru Steve Bennett’s revolutionary new Fibre First diet, a new high-fibre plan that promotes weight loss by slowing digestion and reducing cravings. How has the diet changed your approach to eating?
It has opened my eyes to understanding how sugar is a killer. I’d heard about the amazing work health coach Steve Bennett had been doing and was keen to try his First Fibre Diet as I liked the fact it didn’t involve me having to stop eating my favourite foods.
Let me tell you, this diet has been transformative for me. I was losing weight with bodybuilder Eddie Abbew who got me on the right track but it wasn’t sustainable for me and with Steve I liked the fact that I could still enjoy things like fizzy drinks and pasta.
I don't weigh myself but I can tell I've gone down in clothes size as I was a size 24 but am now a size 20.
The dress I'm wearing today was too big so I had to get it taken in to fit me. I don't weigh myself but I can tell I've gone down in clothes size as I was a size 24 but am now a size 20.
I have learnt how to make noodles out of fibre, instead of wheat. And the best thing is, I used to need a siesta every day after eating pasta for lunch as I couldn’t keep my eyes open because I had such a dip in energy, but this isn’t the case anymore.
You've been very open about your desire to have kids and struggling with your fertility. How has that affected you?
Well, thanks to this new diet, I feel much more confident about it happening as I feel I am nourishing my body on the inside. In January, after coming back from a very luxurious holiday in the Maldives [my fiancé] Rami [Hawash] and I knew it was time to start getting serious about having a baby.
In January, after coming back from a very luxurious holiday in the Maldives, Rami and I knew it was time to start getting serious about having a baby.
Age is obviously not on my side, plus I’ve got the PCOS [polycystic ovary syndrome] and underactive thyroid to deal with – so I decided this year to focus on factoring something into my lifestyle that works for me when it comes to diet, and in doing so to raise my chances of falling pregnant.
This diet has regulated my bowels and stomach issues and my PCOS has gone. I recently went to the Chelsea and Westminster fertility clinic and couldn’t believe it when they told me the cysts had disappeared and I’m sure that is because I have changed my diet and have been eating so much fibre.
How does your fiancé Rami support you on your new weight loss mission?
He is absolutely amazing. You know, I used to always be out at restaurants. It was a status symbol sort of thing to afford to go out for dinner which is absolutely ridiculous!
Cake used to be my best friend and now I’ve swapped it for coriander!
Nowadays, we hardly go out as we are far happier being at home together as he has also embraced this new way of eating. Often, when a woman is on a diet it can be a relationship killer but now Rami is always asking me to cook up this amazing chicken bang bang recipe from the diet as it tastes better than any Chinese meal we have had. I’m not joking that cake used to be my best friend and now I’ve swapped it for coriander!
Do you still battle with depression which you have often spoken so honestly about?
No! Feeding my body well has totally lifted my mood and I’ve come off the anti-depressants I was on for so long. When I first became famous I found it hard to cope with all the attention and being in the spotlight played havoc with my head so I was put on Sertraline. The press attention was overwhelming and I needed something to help me cope. Now, I don’t need any medication which is amazing.
When I first became famous I found it hard to cope with all the attention and being in the spotlight played havoc with my head so I was put on Sertraline [the anti-depressant].
Do you still love designer clothes and getting glammed up to go out?
Not at all, I couldn’t give a hoot anymore about designer labels and exclusive handbags. I’m actually sick of all that stuff. What I have come to realise is how precious life is and that health over wealth is all that matters. My mum recently had pneumonia and nearly died which totally rocked my world. Money is not important but being healthy and well is all that matters.
Is it true you are planning three weddings?
Yes, it is true. I want to have three weddings and a baby in 2026. That is because I saw an astrologer as I love all that stuff and they told me 2026 is the year as it is aligned with the planets.
I love everything to do with astrology and am an extremely spiritual person.
I love everything to do with astrology and am an extremely spiritual person. I want one of my weddings to be an earth ritual in the forest as both Rami and I are very earthy people but it has to be either a winter solstice or a summer one.
What’s your relationship like with Rami’s six-year-old son Tristan? Do you get to see him much?
Oh my gosh, I absolutely love him as though he were my own. In fact, I’m picking him up from school today which is always such a treat for me. We have the best relationship and I’m so grateful and lucky that his mum allows me to spend so much time with him.
It’s not like I had an affair with Rami and broke their marriage up, he was already separated from her and we all get on so well. I notice Tristan is picking up some of my personality traits which makes us laugh. And I love hanging out with my precious nephew Hayden. He’s amazing. We are all like one happy big family.
Gemma is following health guru Steve Bennett’s revolutionary Fibre First Diet, a method that endorses eating more fibre in order to lose weight.
Read more
How to adjust your diet to suit your career, according to a nutritionist (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
Could the keto diet improve fertility for those living with PCOS? (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
Work from home snacks see Britons consuming 800 more calories compared to office days (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
