Gemma Clare Collins (born 31 January 1981) is an English media personality and businesswoman. In 2011, she began appearing on the ITVBe reality series The Only Way Is Essex. Following a brief appearance on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (2014), Collins has appeared in various television programmes including Celebrity Big Brother (2016), Celebs Go Dating (2018), and Dancing on Ice (2019). In 2019, she began starring in her own reality series and hosting a podcast on BBC Sounds.
Stunt casting is risky business – Gemma Collins has her work cut out in Chicago
TOWIE, Celebrity Big Brother and Dancing On Ice meme machine was trending on Twitter all day following the announcement that she’ll play Mama Morton for a select few dates in the UK and Ireland tour of Chicago.
Mama Morton is, you’ll remember, the part played by Queen Latifah in the Oscar-winning movie adaptation; the supporting role that gets to sing the absolute belters When You’re Good To Mama and Class.
Many actors are outraged by The GC’s appointment, and to quote Mary Sunshine in We Both Reached For The Gun, it’s perfectly understandable.
They feel as if their profession – a craft they’ll have spent an exhausting amount of time, money and energy perfecting – is being undermined by the fact a coveted role has been gifted to a relative newcomer for whom this could essentially be a side-hustle. ‘No I’m sorry but Gemma Collins being cast in Chicago is an absolute JOKE.
