Gemma Collins has opened up about rekindling her romance with fiancé Rami Hawash – 10 years after they first met.
The former TOWIE star, 41, and Rami reunited during lockdown, seven years after breaking off their original engagement.
Speaking to Ayda Williams on the Postcards From The Edge podcast, Gemma explained she learned to love herself again before finding love for the second time with Rami.
‘My mind wasn’t on having a partner’: Gemma Collins has opened up about rekindling her romance with fiancé Rami Hawash – 10 years after they first met
Gemma said: ‘I went through some real uncomfortable feelings. I had to face up to a lot of things. Sometimes people treat me really appallingly and I just sort of used to gloss over. It’s fine, it’s showbiz. It was kind of like dealing with all of that.
‘But then I feel like maybe I was tested because once I’d sort of learnt to love myself again because that saying: Once you love yourself, then someone else can love you. I’m not going to feel guilty about sadness.’
She opened up about learning to be on her own and not needing a partner: ‘I did fall in love with myself again. I did get to know myself again. All these people that have like come and gone in my life, they weren’t there for the right reasons.
‘Then all of a sudden I was so comfortable being on my own, I used to get kind of a bit bugged if people would like ‘oh, let’s come around and see you. Yeah, let’s do this, let’s make hundreds of plans.’ I was like, you know what? Actually I’m fine. Then I got to a point, I was really comfortable, happy, I was like I’ve got this, I’m chilled, I make my own decisions in my own time.’
Loved-up: The former TOWIE star, 41, and Rami reunited during lockdown, seven years after breaking off their original engagement
Gemma has known Rami for over ten years, having previously dated the businessman in 2011.
She explained the moment they got back in contact: ‘And then my dad got ill, Rami [Hawash] reached out, did not think for one minute anything romantic. My mind was not even on having a partner. I actually think for the first time in my life I wasn’t obsessed with meeting someone else. I got more bothered about myself and my happiness. I got really selfish.
‘Then literally out of the blue, Rami came along. We used to go for like little walks and he was really good to pick my mum up shopping if I couldn’t get there. I was just like oh, this is nice. Again still wasn’t thinking, but I did start to think, damn, why didn’t I accept his proposal ten years ago when I wanted that sort of life.
‘Then I sort of went down another path and then I thought, actually, maybe this would be the right time for us. Didn’t say nothing to him, did feel a bit gutted in myself. Like oh my God, I thought maybe I’ve missed an opportunity.
‘Then just out of nowhere, it all came back. When you say I’ve matured, you know, I have got better at my work and stuff like that. I think I just had to go through all this process to sort of get to this point. And now it’s good as, you know.’
Important: Speaking to Ayda Williams on the Postcards From The Edge podcast, Gemma explained she learned to love herself again before finding love for the second time with Rami
It comes after she postponed her plans for an elaborate wedding to fiancé Rami Hawash due to the cost of living crisis.
Gemma was due to tie the knot with her businessman beau in what she called an ‘out of this world wedding, after confirming their engagement last December.
But now it seems that Gemma has had a change of heart as she told how it’s not ‘the time to be spending millions on a wedding’ with thousands of people in the country struggling with bills amid the soaring energy rates.
Love life: She confirmed she was engaged to her on-off beau Rami Hawash last December (pictured together)
Speaking to The Mirror, the self-proclaimed diva ensured she was still getting married, but instead of splashing the cash on the big day, the nuptials may well be a quieter day.
When asked if she was still planning her wedding she said: ‘Nah, not at all. Because I just think it ain’t the time to be spending like millions on a wedding you know?’
Hinting that she may even elope with her love, she continued: ‘It’s not the time, it will happen, to be honest my life is always like I’m on the stage anyway.
‘So when I get married I’ll probably just do it in peace and quiet.’
And while the TV personality is scaling down her nuptials, she’s also cutting back on Christmas as she told the publication that it’s the ‘smallest things in life’ that mean the most to her.
Reflecting on the current climate, she added that it’s ‘really tough out there’ for people , suggesting that it’s not the value of presents that is important, but the moment it creates, adding that she’s opting for ‘sentimental gifts’ this year.
She also noted that in these ‘scary times’, she’s requested that her loved ones don’t buy her anything, staying that she doesn’t need anything as her ‘cup is full’.
Delay: When asked if she was still planning her wedding she said: ‘Nah, not at all. Because I just think it ain’t the time to be spending like millions on a wedding you know?’
