STEAK THAT
My new bloke Rami is a fillet steak. Arg, bless him, is a sirloin, says Gemma Collins
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AFTER suffering several very public break-ups, Gemma Collins has found her fairytale ending at last.
The Towie diva dumped her former co-star James “Arg” Argent for good in 2020 and fell back into the arms of an old flame, handsome businessman Rami Hawash.
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The smitten couple, who had a three-year on/off romance until 2014, reunited last year and are now trying for a baby.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, the bubbly former car saleswoman, 41, said: “It was worth the wait. I got the fillet steak at the end of the day, hun. Arg is a sirloin now, he’s lost so much weight, bless him.”
Gemma is referring to the 11st Arg has lost since undergoing gastric band surgery in April.
The reality TV star had ballooned to 27st in lockdown, after swapping his cocaine and booze addictions for food.
Gemma met Arg on the set of Towie in 2011 and had an onscreen fling the next year. The pair reunited a few times over the years. In 2020, he credited his ex-girlfriend’s “tough love” for forcing him to face up to his drug addiction.
She said: “I saved Arg’s life three times. We’ll never fall out, we’ll always be friends. Rami and I wish Arg nothing but the best, there is no awkwardness.”
December is a special time for the couple as they secretly reunited a year ago when Gemma’s parents were unwell with Covid and Rami, 45, offered her much-needed support. While her mum Joan made a full recovery, Gemma’s dad Alan spent Christmas “fighting for his life” in hospital.
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She said: “People don’t know that Rami was my knight in shining armour after I had to move in with my parents when they both got ill with coronavirus.
“He would kindly bring us round shopping and come and meet me to go for walks. He always used to put petrol in their cars. He’s been around my family for years.”
‘He’s not fussed by fame’
Gemma said she felt “incredibly lucky” when Alan was finally allowed out of hospital at the end of January.
Despite her huge success as a TV star, podcaster and owner of make-up and clothing businesses, which have reportedly made her £2.89million, she likes the fact that Israeli-born Rami takes care of her.
She said: “He is not bothered about fame or showbiz. It’s refreshing that he sells cars and is a mechanic. He never walks through the door without giving me a kiss.
“He lights my candles for me when I’m tired and feeds me a corned beef sandwich. I need that support.
“I need someone at my age who is reliable, I don’t want to be messed about. When you get to your forties you don’t want the hassle, you can’t put a price on feeling settled.”
Earlier this year Gemma announced she was ready to be a mum, having previously suffered three miscarriages.
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Gemma, who has polycystic ovary syndrome, which can affect fertility, said: “I should have frozen my eggs in my twenties.
“If I’m not pregnant by next March I’ll go back to the fertility clinic. But I’ve had some fertility tests done and the doctor said everything looks OK.
“Medically, there is so much you can do now. I’ve got friends who have had IVF. If necessary, we will look into it.”
I should have frozen my eggs in my twenties. If I’m not pregnant by March I’ll go back to the fertility clinic. If necessary, we will look into IVF.
Gemma shed 3st 7lb earlier this year by overhauling her diet and exercise regime, but admits Christmas will make it harder to eat healthily.
She said: “December is a tough month to lose weight but I know it will help with my fertility, so I’m trying to stay focused and enjoy myself.”
Gemma is enjoying being a step-mum to Tristan — Rami’s three-year-old son from a previous relationship — and describes her boyfriend as a “great dad”, who she is “learning a lot” from.
While he has not yet popped the question, Gemma still wears a £16,000 ring Rami gave her in 2013, but admits she’s scared to wear it in public for fear of getting mugged. It comes after pal and former Towie star Joey Essex had his £10,000 Rolex watch stolen at knifepoint on the street in 2012.
She said: “I know we will end up together but at the moment a wedding isn’t our priority. He paid for a ring years ago, but I only wear it if I’m with Rav or my security guard, Sid.
“I don’t wear any jewellery out. I don’t keep any at my home, it’s all locked in a safe. I’m savvy enough to know that there are gangs that follow you around in London. You’ve got to be on the ball and vigilant. It happened to poor Joey — it’s very scary.”
Gemma says some of her ITVBe castmates are jealous of her success after appearing on Dancing On Ice, I’m A Celeb, Celebrity Big Brother and having her own spin-off shows, but says they only have themselves to blame.
She said: “People underestimated me. There is such a huge snobbery around reality stars and I’ve always been the underdog on Towie. I wasn’t the prettiest or the slimmest, yet I’d say I’m the most successful woman to come out of the show and I’m not done yet.
‘I’m a workaholic’
“I’m sure it has been tough for some of them. But when a lot of them were partying and lying on their sun loungers, I was building my career. We were all given the same opportunity and you’ve got to make the most of it.
“I didn’t get any different treatment from anyone else that was on the show. I was 30 when I joined, so a bit older than some of them and I had that work ethic in me. I am a bit of a workaholic.”
I need someone reliable, I don’t want to be messed about. When you get to your 40s you don’t want the hassle, you can’t put a price on feeling settled.
Gemma quit Towie in September and insists she will not be returning. She explained: “I don’t mean to be rude but I am a big star now. I’ve done the Jonathan Ross Show, I’ve sat next to Naomi Campbell. I’ve got a BBC podcast, I work with big brands, I was flown to America to do Orange Is The New Black for Netflix. There are so many things I’ve done. You’ve got to keep moving forward.”
Gemma has a chat show in her sights. She said: “There is something in the mix, it could be happening. I’ve worked on my presenting skills and studied Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton. I know a lot of people in the industry.”
This week she was invited to the Oxford Union to debate whether Christmas food should feature only traditional dishes. She argued against the idea and won her case — but there was a backlash from some students after it was revealed Gemma’s visit was part of a Sainsbury’s ad campaign. Her life is a whirlwind of TV work, big-money campaigns and photo shoots. But when it gets too much she prescribes herself a digital detox. She said: “It’s best to shut yourself down for an hour or two and relax. I’ve loved the glitz and glamour, but as I’ve gotten older I’m really happy being at home with Rami.”
But rest days are very few. Her latest collaboration, with interior design gurus Siobhan Murphy and Paul Moneypenny and a team of small UK businesses, is with Amazon Handmade for the Gemma Collins & Friends Christmas Collection.
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It includes personalised cheese boards, furnishings and clothes as well as aromatherapy gift sets and candles.
She said: “The products are hand-crafted, which you can’t get anywhere else. Many businesses have been affected by Covid, it’s brilliant to support them.”
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