Former The Only Way Is Essex icon Gemma Collins could soon be walking down the aisle, as talk of her dream wedding starts to bubble just weeks before her 44th birthday.
Having already had an engagement with businessman beau Rami Hawash over a year ago amid the picturesque setting of the Maldives, sources suggest the reality TV queen is gearing to make her bridal ambitions come true after dedicating recent times to personal growth and self-affection.
“Gemma can’t wait for her wedding day and is going to make sure it’s amazing, she’s inviting everyone – even people she has fallen out with publicly, she sees this wedding as a clean slate,” an insider disclosed as reported by the Mirror.
The festive season saw her cosying up with Rami, son Tristan and Irish pop duo Jedward, but the couple endured a turbulent 2024, marked by health woes in Gemma’s family and the loss of Rami’s father in June. Despite these challenges, our informant expresses that their bond has held strong, with sights set on a hopeful and jubilant 2025.
“Meeting Rami has changed her life and she is finally really happy and in love. He has made her so much more calm and grounded and has actually made her into a better person so she wants to share that with the world now.”
Gemma has candidly shared her aspirations of motherhood and the affection she holds for Rami’s young son Tristan, displaying her nurturing side by extending an invite to Irish celebrity twins John and Edward Grimes – better known as Jedward – to join her in Essex for the Christmas celebrations. The often-controversial duo, who burst onto the scene on The X Factor back in 2006 and later charmed audiences in Celebrity Big Brother, have openly expressed their appreciation for Gemma, acknowledging her as a sanctuary of love and warmth amidst challenging times.
Touched by bereavement with the passing of most of their family, including their mother Susannah to leukaemia in 2019 – a loss that drew an outpouring of grief as they commemorated her as the linchpin of their family – Jedward find solace in Gemma’s companionship. “Christmas is really sad, this year we’re going to be spending it with Gemma because most of our family have sadly passed,” they disclosed.
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They added: “Gemma’s a real one, you know, having someone like Gemma in our lives has definitely been hugely uplifting.”
Furthermore, a source close to Gemma hinted that Jedward might play an integral role in her forthcoming nuptials with Rami, citing the profound connection she has forged with the twins. “She’s got such a close bond with Jedward now and they will be playing a really special part in the wedding,” the insider suggested.
Their presence in her life seems to be a harbinger of joy for Gemma, who appears to be embracing the familial bliss she had long envisioned for her future.
Gemma, who first met Rami in 2011, has hinted that the twins – who are godfathers to her beloved dogs – might be the ones to escort her down the aisle instead of her father Alan. “I joked to my mum that I might have them walk me down the aisle – they are my dog’s godfathers, after all,” she shared with us last year. “They’re honestly like family to me, I adore them.”
The trio initially met on the set of Angela Scanlon’s RTÉ show Ask Me Anything, filmed in Dublin, back in 2021 and their bond has since evolved into a genuine friendship. Gemma has labelled them as “the kindest people to me and real friends”, and the sentiment is evidently reciprocated.
They once referred to her as “a solid person” in their lives, and stated there was much more to their famous friend than what is publicly perceived. “There’s a lot more to Gemma, cos obviously everyone has this opinion of Gemma but she can get deep and she’s had things happen in her life.”
Echoing the boys’ sentiments, Gemma revealed earlier this year that she’d adopted a completely different perspective on life and was now focused on respecting Mother Nature and nourishing her soul with wholesome activities such as gardening, good friends and love.
However, in a nod to her renowned GC persona, she also expressed her desire for three weddings – one of which would be held in the woods to encapsulate an “earthy vibe”. Rami, who operates a car business, will be celebrating his 50th birthday in August this year [2025], so hosting a wedding in the same year could result in a double celebration for the joyous pair.
Gemma has been a part of Tristan’s life since he was three, and she’s previously expressed her deep affection for him: “Since day one, it’s been so easy to love him,” Gemma revealed. “We’ve got such a bond, like he’s my [biological] child anyway.”
Insiders suggest that despite Gemma embracing a more down-to-earth image lately, her upcoming nuptials to fiancé Rami are expected to be an opulent affair, true to the GC’s larger-than-life persona: “Gemma is gearing up for her wedding day of dreams and it won’t be short of extravagance, it will be typical GC style with no expense spared.”
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