Gemma Collins reveals ambition to become a dame as she recalls charming King Charles and Queen Camilla
Gemma Collins opened up about her ambitions of becoming a Dame, while recalling her charming encounter with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The TV legend, 44, admitted it would be the 'best thing that could ever happen' while opening up amid her new Ladies' Day Ascot campaign with Paddy Power.
'Of course I'd love it to be made a Dame, but I don't think it's going to happen just yet,' she told, according to The Sun.
'One day that is the dream. It would just be the best thing that could ever happen.'
The former TOWIE star previously met King and the Queen Consort in 2023 at The Animal Ball, and was sought again after that time.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
'I love the royals. King Charles requested for me to meet him back in 2023. Clarence House called me because they wanted to get in touch with a British icon who is the mood of the nation.
'I dressed in Valentino and went to Lancaster House, in London. Charles was great fun, and very funny, I called him King of the Planet because I really admire him for all the work he does for the animals.'
The screen favourite described the King as 'very down to earth' while the Queen was 'lovely'.
Gemma revealed to be thrilled to be working with betting giant Paddy Power ahead of Royal Ascot's Ladies Day next Thursday - which she dubbed as 'fun' and 'such a vibe'.
The fruitful collaboration - where she is joined by Peter Crouch as fellow ambassador - comes just after Gemma was coveted guest of honour at Cheltenham Races in March.
After people were surprised to see her at the races, the reality star stressed 'women should be able to go to these horse races too'.
Although she defined horse-racing 'blokey', she boldly claimed she is there to 'shut that down', remarking: 'Women rule the world'.
Her brand-new project comes shortly after Gemma confessed she felt like 'dying' amid her devastating battle with pneumonia in a latest health update.
She revealed earlier this week that she'd battling the condition for almost a month, before taking to her Instagram Stories on Friday showing herself undergoing X-rays at her Essex home.
Gemma explained that her condition had been leaving her breathless 'really quickly' but due to medics diagnosing it as viral, antibiotics would be ineffective.
She told The Mirror: 'It's shocking, I've had it now for over three weeks and I had steroids given to me by my doctor. It was DJ Fat Tony's wedding and I had to take them to get through that,'
'But I'm off them now and the sickness is really kicking back in. It's so frustrating because I normally have so much energy and I'm always loving life, but now I get really breathless really quickly and I feel like I'm dying.'
Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection. Most people get better in two to four weeks, but babies, older people, and people with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill and may need treatment in hospital.
Taking to her Stories Gemma shared snaps as she underwent X-rays while praising medical staff for their care.
She wrote: 'Thank you to all the amazing doctors helping me your real life angels'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
41 minutes ago
- Times
Anthony Horowitz: Don't call me Grandpa, I'm not in the corner dribbling
It is the question facing all men if they are lucky enough to become a grandparent: what would you like to be called by the next generation: Granddad, Grandpa, Grandfather or Gramps? For the bestselling author, Anthony Horowitz, who has two grandchildren, Leander, two, and Cosima, eight months, the answer is none of the above. He said the word grandfather 'carries too much baggage. You know, it says you're old. It says you're superannuated. It says you're sitting in a corner dribbling. It says you are grey. It says you are sort of no longer at the centre of things'. Best known for his children's spy books, the Alex Rider series, which have sold more than 19 million copies worldwide, Horowitz, 70, said his aversion to the word grandfather was partly linked to his deeply 'unpleasant' grandmother.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Blue's Duncan James is left heartbroken as he pays tribute to 'kind' uncle after he dies peacefully at home
Duncan James has shared a touching tribute following the death of his beloved uncle Alistair. The Blue singer, 47, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with bandmates Antony Costa, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe, revealed the sad news in an emotional Instagram post. 'Yesterday, we said goodbye to my dear uncle Alistair - the kindest, gentlest soul you could ever hope to meet' he wrote. 'A true eccentric and a proper gentleman, full of life and personality. He loved nothing more than being out on the sea with his boat and enjoying a good beer.' Duncan added: 'He passed away peacefully at home, and he leaves behind a huge space in the hearts of everyone who knew him. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The singer, clearly heartbroken, also shared a childhood nickname for Alistair: 'He will be deeply missed, always remembered, and forever loved. 'RIP uncle Alistair. Or uncle eye eye I used to call you as a kid.' Fans were quick to flood the comments with messages of support penning: 'Im so sorry, sending you and you mother so much love ✨' 'Oh this is so heartbreaking. You can tell from his eyes he was a beautiful soul. May he rest in peace. Sending all my love to you and your mum at this very sad time Dunk ❤️' 'So sorry for your loss… ❤️ A huge hug to you and your family' 'I am so sorry for the loss of your Dear Uncle Eye Eye Sending my deepest condolences and much love to you and the family' It comes after Duncan has been busy celebrating some huge milestones in his life during the first half of the year. In April the boyband singer turned 47 and celebrated six years with his partner Rodrigo. 'A true eccentric and a proper gentleman, full of life and personality. He loved nothing more than being out on the sea with his boat and enjoying a good beer' Fans were quick to flood the comments with messages of support and pass on their love to Duncan, his mum and the rest of their family Despite the pair meeting in November 2018, it wasn't until April 2019 when their 'journey officially began'. In a poignant video shared to his Instagram a song called 'meu abrigo' could be heard playing over the top. Duncan explained that translated to English it means 'my shelter', and conveys love and protection and being there for one another through life's challenges, which he said reflected their relationship perfectly. To celebrate, the singer planned a getaway to a hotel in London, where he surprised the flight attendant with a room full of balloons, banners and cake. Duncan also into a new home and kicked off an arena tour with Blue who are supporting Olly Murs, as well as a holiday to New York. Earlier this year he also celebrated his daughter Tianie's 20th birthday. The singer and reality star was in a relationship with model Claire Grainger from 2002 and although they broke up in 2005, she gave birth to a daughter in February of that year. Duncan paid tribute to his daughter with a carousel of sweet images. He gushed in his caption: 'Happy 20th birthday, my beautiful bright shining star Tianie! 'Watching you grow into the amazing young woman you are today fills my heart with joy. 'I'm so proud of you, and all you have so far achieved and can't wait to see all the incredible things your future holds.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Victoria Beckham and daughter Harper enjoy girls' night out at the ballet after Posh shared gushing tribute to her 'knight in shining armour' Sir David
Victoria Beckham and her daughter Harper looked glamorous for a girls' night out at the ballet, a day after David finally got a knighthood. Posh Spice, 51 - who became Lady Beckham as her husband led the King's Birthday Honours list - attended the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ballet in London with her daughter, 13, on Friday. Calling the occasion a 'special night', Victoria and Harper posed for a photo from their box at the Royal Ballet & Opera house which the mother-of-five shared to her Instagram Stories. The former Spice Girl cut a stylish figure for the evening in a grey skirt and a black top layered with a co-ordinated blazer, while Harper looked glamorous in a pink dress. Victoria seemed elated to be spending some one-on-one time with her daughter, captioning the post: 'Special night at the ballet. I love you Harper.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Victoria's night at the ballet came hours after she shared a gushing tribute to her husband of 25 years Sir David following his knighthood. The former England captain, 50, proudly led in the King's Birthday Honours list after being in the running for more than a decade. Congratulating her husband, Victoria shared a loved-up photo to Instagram and wrote: 'You've always been my knight in shining armour, but now it's official. Sir David!!! What an honour, I couldn't be prouder of you. 'Your dedication to the things that matter most — your country, your work, your passion, and most of all, your family — has never wavered. 'The way you've touched so many lives over the years with kindness and humility speaks volumes about the man you are and continues to inspire us everyday.' She concluded: 'But above all else, I'm so, so proud to call you mine. I love you so much xxxx' David declared himself 'immensely proud' as he finally received a knighthood after years of being snubbed. He said he 'never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour', as his Spice Girl wife Victoria also becomes Lady Beckham. The former England football captain previously missed out when a 'red flag' from the taxman blocked him becoming a Sir in 2014. Leaked emails suggested he had savaged the nominations committee as 'unappreciative c***s' and branded their decision 'a disgrace, to be honest', although his office subsequently insisted they had been doctored by a hacker. But that was all behind him today as Sir David proudly led the King's Birthday Honours list recognising 1,200 people from community champions to cultural icons. The day before Sir David was given the honour, he was seen chatting with the King at a St James's Palace ceremony for the monarch's foundation, of which the retired footballer is an ambassador. He has been made a knight for his services to sport and to charity. He said: 'Growing up in East London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour.' David added: 'To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true.' He said that, off the pitch, his charity work 'gives me so much fulfilment', and added: 'It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I'm immensely proud and it's such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.' He has been made a knight for his services to sport and to charity, having partnered with Unicef and campaigned with Malaria No More, a charity working to eradicate the disease. Sir David was made an OBE in 2003 and has been in the running for a knighthood for more than a decade.
