Gemma Collins reveals she ‘could be related to Jack the Ripper’

Gemma Collins has opened up about her fascinating family history after filming Who Do You Think You Are?, revealing she could be related to one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers.

The BBC series, which is back once again after 20 years on screen, has seen celebrities from Danny Dyer to Dame Judi Dench uncover unbelievable facts about their ancestors.

The new season features the likes of Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Olly Murs as they follow in the footsteps of the stars before them in the hope of stumbling upon huge discoveries.

The Only Way Is Essex star Gemma is also in the new cast, telling after doing some digging, she was informed that her family had a surprising connection to Jack the Ripper.

Jack the Ripper was a serial killer who committed atrocious murders in the late 19th century – and he was never identified, even more than 100 years later.

So when Gemma, 43, learnt that her family lived in an area of London where the murderer was known to have been active, she was blown away.

‘I just think that… it’s kind of just crazy, isn’t it? Like you don’t know he could actually… no one knew who Jack the Ripper was, did they? So he could have been my family,’ the reality TV star said.

‘Do you see? I mean, it’s certainly not boring,’ before adding about her episode: ‘It’s definitely up there with Danny Dyer’s one, I think.’

As all Who Do You Think You Are? fans will know, EastEnders star Danny Dyer had one of the best episodes ever of the show, finding out that he’s related to William the Conqueror in an instalment that won a Bafta.

Gemma added: ‘He was related to a King wasn’t he? Or came from a King. It was great when he found out. The link to Jack the Ripper is something else, for sure.’

While the Celebrity Big Brother star’s exploration of her family history was filled with joyous and light-hearted moments, it was also a very emotional ordeal for her and her family.

Gemma decided to delve into her maternal side of the family, as her mother, Joan Collins, was fostered as a baby and had scarce information about where she came from.

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The TV personality explained how ‘traumatising’ her mum found speaking about the circumstances of her birth, which is why they’d never gone into too much detail talking about it in the past.

In the end, as viewers will learn, Gemma and her mum Joan not only had some tearful moments, but also made some heartwarming discoveries, including being united with living relatives, an experience that she said was like winning a ‘million dollar ticket’.

‘My mum had actually, in the end… she had a nice family, didn’t she?’ Gemma shared, adding that after finding out more about her genealogy, it was the ‘right decision for her mum’ that she was fostered as a newborn, as her birth mother was suffering with her mental health.

While going on her Who Do You Think You Are? journey, Gemma found out that her mum’s mum, her grandmother, was in two psychiatric hospitals, first when she was 13 years old and diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Then when she was 17 years old, shortly after Joan was born, she was admitted again and diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia.

‘[I’m] not saying that people with mental health [issues] can’t have children,’ Gemma outlined. ‘It really was the right thing that my mum was fostered, a million per cent, because mental health was measured differently back then.’

She added that her mum has ‘definitely got closure on it for sure’, after years of ‘growing up and not feeling like she belonged or was wanted’. ‘She’s got that peace of mind.’

Having filmed her episode over a year ago, the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star said that it’s ‘taken all this time for it to sink in’ after gaining ‘so much fabulous information’ about her family.

‘It’s just been a real, real eye-opener. Found out so much lovely stuff,’ she said.

Among the many discoveries that she made, Gemma felt a strong connection with one of her ancestors called Thirza – so much so that she wants to bestow the name on her future child.

Viewers might be surprised to learn more about the Towie star’s biggest passions in life when they watch the show, as she has grown up loving the countryside and nature… and it turned out that this side of her life was always in her blood.

‘I wasn’t the GC on there, I very much was myself on the show. It just goes to show you that there’s another side to me, and it’s just lovely that people are going to see that as well,’ she stated.

One of the biggest takeaways from doing the show for Gemma was finding out that there’s ‘more to me than just being born at a hospital in Romford’. And now, she hopes she has the tools to do some more investigating into her dad’s side of the family.

Gemma purposely chose to explore her mum’s side of the show because it was shrouded in mystery, but there’s definitely more that she can uncover on her paternal side should she choose to in future.

‘I wish I could go and do it all again now. I know the experience and know what it entails. I wish I could sort of go in and find out more,’ she explained.

‘I always loved history at school. I’d need a year basically. The beauty of it is it’s never-ending. There’s always going to be time, hopefully, or I can make time to revisit and find out more. I’d like to know more on my dad’s side for sure.’

Addressing people who might be inspired to find out more about their own family histories, Gemma stressed: ‘It’s never too late to find your family. If you’ve got that yearning or you don’t understand why something happened.’