Last week Gemma Collins jetted off on a sun-soaked escape with her fiancé Rami Hawash. But behind the smiles and enviable holiday snaps, she was facing another setback in her long fertility battle.
The former TOWIE star took to social media to give her followers an update on her conception journey, saying she “can’t get pregnant” after previously admitting she’s desperate to have a baby.
The 42-year-old, who has recently been to the Greek island of Mykonos, said alongside a beautiful bikini snap, “With an underactive thyroid and PCOS, every day is a constant struggle but do you know what, F IT.” She added the hashtag “can’t get pregnant due to PCOS”.
Her comments section quickly filled with praise for her curvy figure, messages of support and stories of other women’s fertility struggles and successes, with many telling the reality star not to give up hope.
Following her admission online, the star opened up on her sadness over her difficulties in an interview, while maintaining her determination to have a family – which she has made no secret of in the past.
“I can’t for some reason have children,” she said. “It’s very frustrating, it’s very upsetting, it’s very challenging. I just don’t and can’t have kids. It’s very stressful, but I need to find somewhere, a good place or clinic in London, that can make it happen for me.”
She added, “Come on, the world is waiting for The GC’s baby. I just need a bit of help to make it happen.”
Her quest for motherhood has seemingly put her wedding plans on hold. Gemma said last week that she’ll do a Jennifer Lopez and get married at 50.
“When you see people going through divorces and all that comes with it, you’re like, ‘Hell no!’” she said. “I do not want that. I can’t bear admin anyway. I couldn’t be bothered to do the paperwork. So I’m just postponing it as long as possible.”
Gemma rekindled her romance with Rami seven years after they broke off their engagement in 2014. But even before they got back together and engaged for the second time, The GC wanted to become a mum.
“I feel so unfilled at 36 not having a child,” she said at the time. “Do I wait for a man or put my eggs on freeze and hope he comes along? And if not, I can have one anyway.”
Already a stepmum to Tristan, three – Rami’s son from a previous relationship – Gemma previously hoped by embracing her spiritual side and putting her trust in the universe, she would be blessed with a baby.
“Me and Mother Nature are at one, because I’m hoping to get pregnant soon,” she said while talking on her podcast, The Gemma Collins Podcast , in 2021.
“Maybe I should find a place in the forest where I can give birth to Mother Nature’s child,” she added. “I might even call it Blossom. The Japanese blossom tree.”
Over the years, Gemma has gone to extreme lengths to try to conceive a child – from deliberately avoiding contraception on a one-night stand to getting in contact with Mariah Carey’s fertility doctor. She was
even offered former TOWIE pal Bobby Norris’s sperm for artificial insemination.
And most recently she revealed her mission of having not just one baby, but twins with Rami – called Peaches and Cream.
“I don’t need to freeze my eggs, I’ll just have a baby when the time is right. I can’t wait!” she said, optimistic for the future.
Despite her funny turn of phrase and strong bravado, it’s safe to say Gemma’s quest to have a child hasn’t been easy. She suffered three devastating miscarriages, one of which happened in 2020.
“I’ve not talked about this before, but it was my third, each one a devastating loss on my longed-for journey to motherhood,” she said at the time.
She added, “I’ve been trying to have a baby for nearly a decade now, only to have my hopes dashed time and time again by one miscarriage, then another.”
Managing to stay positive, Gemma regularly shares her experiences and health woes with her fans via social media and remains open. “I can talk about it now. Things sometimes are not meant to be,” she said.