Gemma Collins joins Piers Morgan this week for the new series Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.
Back on Thursday night (February 11), Piers Morgan’s Life Stories welcomes the Queen of reality, Gemma Collins with an emotional, surprising and at times hilarious interview.
In her chat with Piers, Gemma talks about being bullied at school and the abuse she has received on social media and from the public.
“There was no money but we had a really lovely childhood. I can remember having my first probably big birthday party at the Little Chef and thinking that was a really posh restaurant,” Gemma tells Piers in the show. “And I think my hard work and tenacity comes from my dad.
“He used to work all the hours under the sun and even do a night shift in a pub.
“Your mum instilled into you a lot of self-confidence. But when you got to school, that caused people to then bully you,” Piers says.
He continues: ” All those bullies who punched you and chanted at you and teased you and tried to prick that confidence, if they’re watching as you sit here in your Versace suit doing Life Stories, having just told me you’ve made a million pounds out of being Gemma Collins, what would you say to them? Does it feel good to have rubbed their taunts in their face?”
Gemma replies: “I don’t believe in revenge and two wrongs don’t make a right. I hope that they’ve worked on something within themselves.”
The reality star continues to discuss the downside of fame and abuse she has received.
Piers says: “We found some of these messages ‘Please leave TOWIE and die, you hurt my eyes when you come on TV. Please just die you waste of oxygen, you’re just a fat attention seeking b… and so on. I mean utterly vile.
“And I would normally say well they’d never say it to your face, but some people did say this to your face. They would shout it in the street at you.”
Gemma replies: “It was so embarrassing once, I was taking my mum for lunch, a van pulled up and they started abusing me. It wasn’t for me, I felt so hurt that that happened in front of my mum.”
“What were they saying?” Piers asks.
“‘You fat C***’. You know, ‘fat cow’… Gemma reveals, ” ‘Look at you stuffing your face’. Again, I’m used to it but I didn’t want my mum to hear it.
“Was she upset by it?” questions Piers.
“Very upset, yeah,” says Gemma.
Piers then continues: “You’ve talked very openly about an ongoing struggle with your weight. Obviously it’s a part of your life.”
Gemma shares: “Yeah. I think I have always turned to food in-in times of crisis. I mean any occasion, if I’m happy I eat, if I’m sad I eat.
“But I think it’s about dealing with your emotions and trying to find a way of dealing with them in a healthy way and not turning to something that can harm you. Cos it is like a form of self-harm.”
Piers Morgan’s Life Stories with Gemma Collins airs Thursday night at 9PM on ITV.
