Gemma Collins praised for showing off real body in holiday snap as she stuns in leopard print bikini
GEMMA Collins has been praised for showing off a real body shape as she branded herself a “carbohydrated Barbie”.
The Towie alum stunned in a bright leopard print bikini on her holiday with fiancé Rami Hawash.
She’s been keeping her fans updated on her adventures by sharing gorgeous snaps from her break away.
The TV star also spoke about her battle with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition, admitting that it “sucks”.
She was diagnosed with PCOS when she was 28 after becoming alarmed by her sudden weight gain.
Gemma is now ready to have a baby with fiancé Rami Hawash, but has been unsuccessful for three years.
The star, 42, shared a glam photo in which she posed defiantly in a bikini and captioned it with an empowering message.
Stunning Gemma referenced the new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie, and wrote in her post: “CARBOHYDRATED BARBIE FOR LIFE.
“With an under active thyroid and pcos everyday is a constant struggle but do you know what F – IT”
Gemma concluded her post with telling hashtags, including #badbitchbarbie #pcosfighter #underactivethyroidsucks #cantgetpregnantduetopcos #gc.
Her fans flooded the comments with praise, and one said: “Fellow plus size PCOS’er here… love the confidence post. Away next month and posts like this give me the confidence to (stick one finger up) to what people think of me and my ‘bikini bod’.”
Another said: “omg queen gemma is a pcos girlie too.”
And a third said: “I’ve had an under active thyroid for years now and I just decided to stop the struggle and be myself.”
According to the NHS, one in five women in the UK has PCOS.
It is said to be hereditary and in severe cases sufferers can be left with excessive hair growth and acne.
Gemma previously told The Sun how she became aware something was going on with her body.
She said: “I was always very slim. But I really started piling on the weight and I’ll never forget it.
“I said to my mum, ‘Have you shrunk my clothes?’. She said, ‘I hate to break this to you, but you’re putting on weight’.”
Reflecting on the impact the condition has had on her life, and particularly her weight, she says: “I get so fed up of it. I get told I have such a lovely face, but what about my body, hunny?
“I just think it’s so sad that in society you’re programmed to think that thin is beautiful.”
Gemma and Rami first dated in 2013, and Rami made several appearances on The Only Way Is Essex, the show where Gemma found her popularity.
The pair announced their first engagement on December 27, 2013, although this was broken off several weeks later.
He proposed to the star by hiding a diamond ring in a Christmas pudding.
They rekindled their romance in lockdown after she split from James Argent.
He is now a father to four-year-old son, Tristan, who is kept out of the public eye.