Gemma Collins fans in tears over ‘heartbreaking’ family history on BBC show

Fans of were left emotional after her appearance on the popular genealogy series, Who Do You Think You Are? last night. The show, which has been airing since 2004, allows celebrities to delve into their family history.

Series 21, which began in August with actress Vicky McClure, has seen a variety of famous faces including Olly Murs and Strictly star explore their ancestry. Episode seven was dedicated to Gemma Collins.

The 43 year old reality TV star embarked on a journey to uncover her family roots. While she is familiar with her father’s lineage, her mother’s side remains a mystery, especially considering her Joan was fostered as an infant. This has always been a challenging topic for them, but Joan has finally agreed to share what she knows with Gemma.

In the hour-long episode, Gemma uncovers details about her mum’s early life, learning that she was fostered at just two weeks old. She also discovers that her grandmother, who shared the name Joan Williams with her mum, spent time in hospitals in Epsom

Gemma’s quest to learn more about her grandmother reveals that she was admitted to psychiatric hospitals twice once at age 13 when she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and again at 17, shortly after giving birth to Gemma’s mum. On this second occasion, she was diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia.

In the documentary, she encounters Dr Claire Hilton, who suggests that the diagnosis might have been misleading, indicating societal pressures at the time left Gemma’s grandmother, an unmarried teenage mother, with scant options but to give up her child.

Later in the show, Gemma is convinced she has unearthed the true identity of Jack the Ripper and believes she is related to him through her great-grandfather, William Williams. Historian Fiona Rule presents Gemma with census records showing that as a youngster, William Williams resided in Tower Hamlets with his father, also named William Williams, and his mother Thirza on Dorset Street in the East End.

Gemma discovers that during the time her great-great-grandparents lived there, the street was notorious as the worst street in London and had earlier gained infamy as the location where one of Jack the Ripper’s victims was slain.

The episode elicited varied responses from Gemma’s fans; one X user commented: “Gemma Collins on Who Do You Think You Are? was everything I wanted and more,” while another suggested: “I really think they could delve deeper into Gemma Collins family history as it was fascinating. Her poor mother and Grandmother! Definitely enjoyed it.”

Another fan expressed their enjoyment, saying: “I loved it. It had everything including reference to Jack the Ripper, Foulness, Dorset St and the use of the word schizophrenia in the ’50s. And the way there were so many coincidences throughout the family history was uncanny. Great story.”

One viewer, who was previously unaware of Gemma Collins, praised her episode saying, “I’d not heard of Gemma before this. I thought she was fab – loved how interested and enthusiastic she was. Fascinating back story.”

Another sympathised: “Not knowing a family history must be so hard bless her.”

However, not everyone was swept away by the content, as an unimpressed user commented: “I was hoping this episode with Gemma Collins would have a surprise ending like Danny Dyer, no such luck,” while another took aim at the production budget stating: “Clearly the #wdytya budget was blown on earlier episodes, cos Essex to Essex via Spitalfields wasn’t breaking any banks. I couldn’t get into this at all.”

Celebrity companions of Gemma also encouraged her on social media following her feature on the show; Jedward left a touching message on her post: “It’s wonderful that the show gives closure to the whole family and a sense of peace,” and Pixie Lott chimed in with support, expressing: “Ahhh so happy u did this show, one of my abso faves can’t wait to see it.”