Gemma Collins Self-Harm and Me: when is programme on TV - and what happened to TV presenter?

Gemma Collins is the undisputed queen of Essex.

Known to the world for her platinum blond hair, distinctive essex accent and a cartload of iconic diva catchphrases, Gemma has opened the door to another side of her life.

In Gemma Collins: Self Harm and Me, she opens up about her experiences with self-harm over the past 20 years.

Here’s everything you need to know about the show and what happened to the reality star.

What happened to Gemma Collins?

Gemma, 41, first self-harmed when she was at school and kept it secret from friend and family for more than 20 years.

In a clip for the documentary, she said: “I don’t know why I self-harmed, I don’t know where it came from. I don’t understand it. This is why I’m making this documentary, I want to finally put it to bed… It’s going to be really tough at times, but I am ready to find out why I did it.”

“The public don’t know Gemma, they know ‘The GC’. Everyone sees me as this strong character. I’m actually a very soft, sensitive person, very few people get to see that side of me.”

She admits that while she hasn’t physically self-harmed since her early thirties, she used other methods to hurt herself, adding: “After my thirties I think I went onto a different sort of harm with bad partners, bad relationships with food, it’s all different types of self-harm.”

What is Gemma Collins: Self-Harm and Me about?

The new Channel 4 documentary delves into Gemma’s mental health and using self-harm as a coping mechanism.

It will show Gemma speaking to various friends, family, including her mum, and her therapist.

She will also speak to her now-fiance Rami Hawash about her experiences.

Rami previously found Gemma self-harming 10 years ago, when the couple first dated.

The show is made in connection with mental health charity Mind.

Alex Bushill, head of media and PR at Mind, said: “Our research at Mind has also shown that when people in the public eye speak about their mental health, it encourages others to do the same – as many as one in five people have spoken to a loved one as a direct result of seeing a celebrity speak out.

“This demonstrates how vital it is that people in the public eye continue to speak honestly about their mental health experiences, including coping mechanisms like self-harm.

“Through our Media Advisory Service, Mind worked with Channel 4 to make sure the issues covered are handled sensitively and portrayed accurately.”

If you are struggling with your mental health, you can contact a trained advisor from Mind on 0300 123 3393 or email [email protected].

When can I watch Gemma Collins: Self-Harm and Me?

The show will air on Channel 4 at 9pm on Wednesday 16 February.

It will be aired in a one-off special.

Gemma Collins: Self-Harm and Me will be available to watch on All4 after it airs on Channel 4.

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