
‘I can't wait to get my hands on David's sticky stuff', says Gemma Collins as she plans Posh & Becks-style Cotswold move
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THE only way is no longer Essex for Gemma Collins.
The former Towie star plans to move to the Cotswolds with fiancé Rami Hawash — and she has her sights on them becoming 'the new Posh and Becks'.
8
Gemma Collins has set her eyes on a move to the Cotswolds with husband-to-be Rami
Credit: Louis Wood
8
Gemma and mechanical repair businessman Rami, 49, who have been dating on and off since 2011
Credit: Splash
'I can't wait to get my hands on David Beckham's honey,' she says, in reference to the former England captain's beekeeping produce — cheekily dubbed his 'Sticky Stuff' by wife Victoria — at their £12million home in Great Tew, near Chipping Norton.
'The only way is the Cotswolds for me. It's real class.
'I'm ready for quiet, country life. It's my spiritual home.
'Me and Rami are the new David and Victoria — it suits me like nobody's business.'
The Cotswolds has more than its fair share of celebs, with the Beckhams' 4,000 acres neighbouring celeb hangout Soho Farmhouse, while Kate Moss and Princess Beatrice live nearby.
Hollywood has even moved in, with Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi regulars at Jeremy Clarkson's pub, The Farmer's Dog, a 'very posh' drinking hole, according to Gemma.
And a Real Housewives Of The Cotswolds-style series is in the works.
Gemma 44, was born in Romford. She now grows vegetables and keeps chickens in her beloved garden — adorned with elephant sculptures — at her £1.3million converted barn near Chelmsford.
But after a string of 'bad omens' — including the death of a chicken — she is now regularly seen driving her Land Rover around charming villages Wootton and Bourton-on-the-Water, on the lookout for a 'multi-million-pound' home.
And Gemma will not allow any snobby Cotswoldians to look down at her.
Gemma Collins nearly dies as she's rushed to hospital in Venice
On one recent trip there, Gemma pulled over to ask two local ladies for some advice. 'Hi, honeys!', she said. 'Where's nice to eat round here?'
The woman who responded pointed her towards gastropub The Bull in Charlbury, but warned: 'It's expensive.'
Offended, Gemma shot back: 'Oh, that's no problem, I could buy this town!''
From the passenger seat, as they sped away, partner Rami, 50, scolded her for being 'embarrassing'.
But Gemma is defiant: 'Who does she think she is, telling me it's expensive? I'm pulling up in a f***ing Defender that was £127k. Darling, do you know who I am?'
At the pub, where a rib of beef costs £98, Gemma later conceded: 'I had to agree with her, it was a bit toppy.'
Wherever they settle, Rami's life with The GC will never be dull.
Gemma and Rami, who has a mechanical repair business, have dated on and off since 2011.
They got engaged for a third time during an exotic Maldives getaway in February last year.
At the time, Gemma was enthusiastic to throw THREE huge weddings, including an Italian getaway, and visited Venice in October to taste menus.
8
Gemma insists she can't wait to try 'David Beckham's Sticky Stuff' - which is his brand of honey
Credit: Tim Stewart
8
Gemma will not allow snobby Cotswoldians to look down at her
Credit: Getty
But disaster struck when a wasp stung her tongue, and she was taken to hospital by water ambulance along the canals.
'I was dying, my tongue was swelling up from the back and I couldn't breathe,' she says, shuddering.
'It's an omen — Venice is off the cards. I can't get married there after nearly dying there.'
Another health scare followed last month when she contracted a mystery virus.
She says: 'I was nearly dead. I was out in my garden holding on to the wall at 3am, and I had an out-of-body experience.'
It took her a week to start feeling better and she adds: 'Just getting washed after seven days was a big, big moment.'
Another person suffering from ill health has been her beloved mum Joan, 80, who required a hospital dash last year after she stopped breathing.
I was nearly dead - I was out in my garden holding on to the wall at 3am, and I had an out of body experience.
Gemma Collins
Joan, a breast cancer survivor, is now in a stable condition, but Gemma decided to move her parents in with her — and plans to hand over the house once she buys her bolthole in the Cotswolds.
'I'll keep that Essex house as my flagship — Mum and Dad can have that,' she says.
While she adores living with her parents, she eyerolls as she says her dad Alan, 75, constantly tells her off for her expensive tastes.
Speaking about buying Chanel bags, she says: 'I wait until I know the house is silent to get the bags out of the boot. My dad's like, 'Oh Gemma, this is ridiculous'.'
Amid all the health issues, wedding plans 'got kiboshed' and she is now hoping for just the one intimate ceremony, next year at the earliest.
She suggests Marylebone registry office, followed by a party at a farmhouse in, of course, the Cotswolds.
GEM'S HEALTH WOES
'Half a million pounds on a wedding is just ridiculous,' she says. 'I'd rather put that on my Cotswolds place.
'It becomes so pressurised and it puts you off. Now, we've decided to have a breather and have a year off. We're not doing it until 2026.'
Gemma's decades-long struggle with her weight has run smoothly since November, when she started injecting weight-loss drug Mounjaro.
'I absolutely love Mounjaro,' she says, crediting the jabs with helping her go from 24st to 20st 7lb.
'My mind had to catch up with how my body was changing, because I looked so different when I looked in the mirror.
'I was like, 'Woah, am I ready for this?'. But I'm not worried about getting Ozempic face — I'd love to get Ozempic face!'
After a brief plateau, she now feels in 'no rush' to shed her target of just under 6st, and finds smaller milestones more encouraging.
'It's little things,' she says. 'I can get my bra done up easier now.'
8
Gemma decided to move her parents in with her - and plans to hand over the Essex house once she buys her bolthole
Credit: Instagram/Gemma Collins
8
I'm ready for quiet, country life, it's my spiritual home, says Gemma
Credit: Getty
8
Gemma has a new role as Head Travel Agent for new Archers 24 Hour AI Travel Agency
Credit: Archers
8
Gemma and Rami got engaged for a third time during a trip to the Maldives
Credit: Instagram/@gemmacollins
Gemma is a doting stepmother to Rami's seven-year-old son, Tristan, and describes nephews Hayden and Kane as 'the light of her life'.
She had planned to try for a baby after losing more weight, and is still considering IVF.
But she is ready to accept that she may not have children.
'I'm 44,' she says. 'Do I really wanna be going to the local mother and baby groups?
'If it's meant to be, it will be. If I don't have a child, there's so much more I want to do.
'And there is always that part of me itching, like, what can I do next?'
In the past few months, Gemma has teased making a garage song, turned down a return to Celebrity Big Brother ('I'm sure I'll rock up at some point') and has designs on releasing her own range of supermarket trifles after a viral video showed her thoroughly distracted by the dessert.
Knowing Gemma, she will find lucrative opportunities in all of them.
'When I entertain, my heart is full'
'I absolutely love family time, but sometimes I have to pinch myself and remember I am The f***ing GC, let's not forget,' she says.
'I have to remind Rami sometimes as well.
'I had a little break and he saw me being very domestic — men like that. But deep down, I'm an entertainer. When I entertain, my heart is full.
'I'm not ready to just sit in making packed lunches, darling . . . yet.
'This year, I'm concentrating on acting. I want to make a movie, but mostly I want to appear in The White Lotus. I want to be the new Jennifer Coolidge.'
Everything to know about Gemma Collins All the latest news about Gemma Collins
Who is Gemma's fiance Rami Hawash?
Gemma Collins' net worth explained
All about Gemma Collins' weight loss
Meet Gemma's parents Joan and Alan
Gemma, who was speaking in her role as Head Travel Agent for new Archers 24 Hour AI Travel Agency, said she has only one tip for the ultimate microbreak: 'The Cotswolds, the Cotswolds, the Cotswolds . . . it's all about the pub life down there.'
But if that's not your cup of tea, she recommends Saudi Arabia — which she hopes to be her next holiday destination — because 'everyone deserves luxury'.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Thomas shares wife's off-screen involvement in Sue Cleaver's Corrie exit
Ryan Thomas spent 16 years on the Corrie set with his mum Eileen, played by Sue Cleaver - so when she finally called it a day on the ITV soap, he was there to send her off Corrie star Ryan Thomas has given his wife Lucy Mecklenburgh a tour around his on-screen childhood home, as he paid tribute to his TV mum Eileen after Sue Cleaver's emotional departure from the soap. Ryan, 40, shares two children with TOWIE star Lucy Meck, but he had already left the show by the time they got together. Ryan spent his teenage years in Weatherfield, having joined the Manchester-based ITV soap in 2000. He stayed until 2016, when his character, builder Jason Grimshaw left the cobbles after being manipulated by his mum Eileen's partner Pat Phelan. But Jason wasn't killed off, and instead emigrated to Thailand, with his mum Eileen mentioning him often on the soap. And with Sue Cleaver finally leaving Corrie for good, he took the opportunity to show Lucy, 33, around the set. Sharing a video on Instagram of Lucy walking through the Grimshaws' living room, he wrote: "I was never with @lucymeck while I was in the show so it was nice to finally show my superfan where I grew up." Another clip showed Sue being given a round of applause, before hugging her on-screen sons Jason and Todd, who was played by Bruno Langley originally, and then Gareth Pierce since 2017. Ryan wrote: "Haven't seen it yet but Eileen/mother departed Weatherfield tonight, gone but never forgotten. "It has been an honour to watch, learn and act alongside you one last time. Can't wait to watch you shine in your next chapter. Love you always." Sue confirmed rumours that Ryan would be returning to the Cobbles for her send off. Speaking on soap podcast Off Script, she said: "I rang Ryan Thomas and I said, 'Ryan, I've not told work yet but I'm gonna leave. Would you come back? I'd really like you to take me out'. "He said, 'I wasn't planning to but I can't refuse that can I'. It just felt really right that he was there. It was lovely having him there. He's not changed at all." Following her final episode on Friday night, Sue's character Eileen was seen leaving for a new life in Thailand, alongside her son Jason. Simon Gregson's character Steve McDonald, Tony Maudsley's George Shuttleworth, and Eileen's son Todd, played by Gareth Pierce, all said goodbye to the matriarch before drivers from the local taxi firm honked their horns as she was driven off. In an Instagram post, Cleaver said: 'Well… that's a wrap. 25 years of laughs, tears, costumes, chaos — and one unforgettable journey. I'll miss this character like crazy, but what a ride it's been. Thank you for every moment.' Sue has played outspoken Eileen in the ITV show since 2000, who started her life in Weatherfield working on the phones at local taxi firm Streetcars. She arrived with her tearaway teenagers Jason and Todd, and became friends with her boss Steve. Sue came third on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2022, where she opened up about reconciling with her birth mother. She also revealed how her family is 'bizarrely interconnected' to other Coronation Street stars, including Helen Worth (who plays Gail Platt) who is godmother to one of her half-sisters. Meanwhile, her other half-sister's husband, John Bowe, appeared on the cobbles as Duggie Ferguson. In 2024, Sue released a book A Work In Progress in which she discusses how she feels she is not past her prime, and has been a panellist on ITV daytime chat show Loose Women.


Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Gemma Collins 'feels like she's dying' amid devastating battle with pneumonia as she's left struggling to breathe and forced to undergo X-rays at home
Gemma Collins has confessed she feels like she's 'dying' amid her devastating battle with pneumonia in a latest health update. The former TOWIE star, 44, 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.' 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. She revealed earlier this week that she'd battling the condition for almost a month, before taking to her Instagram Stories showing herself undergoing X-rays at her Essex home 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'. Announcing the news of her condition on Wednesday, Gemma shared a photo of herself in bed looking poorly in bed. She wrote: 'Hey guys sorry been quiet i have Pneumonia. I'm not as fast or on it as I usually am on the daily. 'I am still honouring my work commitments which is taking every bit of energy I have but will be back entertaining you all soon.' On her Story she added an update as she showed she was on a drip and had been visited by a doctor. One post that showed a drip in her arm read: 'I'm having to take it easy which is not like me very slow and get so out of breath and tired so quick.' Gemma also shared a snap with her pet pooch Gucci who she said was 'giving her lots of cuddles.' Another showed a doctor at her house as she said: 'Thank you to everyone helping me I've had pneumonia for three weeks and honestly can't thank everyone all the docs helping me.' It comes after just last week she was seen in good spirits attending the Chelsea Flower Show. Gemma, who has gone from a size 26 to a size 20 in just three months on weight loss jab Mounjaro, displayed her slimmer frame in a sheer gown with caped sleeves that she wore over a slip. She also attended DJ Fat Tony's wedding over the weekend where she was a bridesmaid. It comes after the star claimed she's 'saving the NHS ' by taking Mounjaro after losing a 'life-changing' two stone. Gemma said she'll no longer need to go to the NHS with an 'obesity related illness' thanks to the help of the medication. Announcing the news of her condition on Wednesday, she wrote: 'Hey guys sorry been quiet i have Pneumonia. I'm not as fast or on it as I usually am on the daily. She revealed in January that she'd been taking the NHS approved Mounjaro injections and has left fans stunned with her incredible transformation. She told The Mirror: 'I've lost so much weight, you wouldn't believe it. It's the only thing I've managed to lose weight on without putting myself on a stressful diet. 'I think I'm actually saving the NHS. I won't be going to the NHS with an obesity related illness so I won't be putting any strain on it. I'm loving life, honey.' WHAT IS PNEUMONIA? Pneumonia is a type of chest infection that affects the tiny air sacs in the lungs. The condition causes these sacs to be become inflammed and fill with fluid, making it harder to breathe. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria or viruses, with the most common being Streptococcus pneumoniae. It affects between five and 11 out of every 1,000 adults every year in the UK. Anyone can suffer from pneumonia, however, at-risk groups include: Babies and young children People over 65 Those with long-term heart, lung or kidney disease People with cancer, particularly those having chemotherapy Smokers Those on drugs that suppress their immune systems Antibiotics or mechanical ventilator use in hospitals also raise the risk. Symptoms include Coughing up mucus Fever Chest pain Loss of appetite Fatigue In severe cases, sufferers may cough up blood, vomit or have a rapid heart rate. Treatment is usually antibiotics, which may need to be given intravenously in hospital in severe cases.


Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
THE CHIC LIST: The 7 micro trends I'm embracing to shake up my summer wardrobe
Fashion icon Jackie Kennedy was a fan and right now I'm more than a little obsessed with white sunglasses. The reasons are simple: they add a pop to everything, instantly elevating whatever you're wearing. And they look particularly fabulous with a tan. I bought the Celine sunglasses I'm pictured in here on my last trip to Paris and have been wearing them on repeat ever since.