Gemma Collins reportedly became a millionaire during lockdown thanks to a series of savvy business moves.
The GC, 41, is undoubtedly the most successful TOWIE alumni following her stint on the ITVBe show, and arguably one of Britain's biggest reality TV stars of all-time.
Like her peers, Gemma rakes in thousands of pounds thanks to sponsored Instagram posts and brand deals, but it's possibly one unusual business move in particular that has seen her bank balance eclipse her fellow reality TV stars.
Over recent years, the Essex-based star has appeared on numerous TV shows, including; Celebs Go Dating, Dancing On Ice, Gemma Collins: Diva, Celebrity Big Brother and of course, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
In addition to being one of the biggest stars on the small screen, Gemma also rakes it in with lucrative partnerships with the likes of Durex, Walkers crisps, In the Style and Amazon.
As reported by the Daily Star, Gemma previously revealed just how much she can charge when it comes to promoting products to her 2.2million followers on Instagram.
"In one day, I earned £75,000 from social media posts, and that was on a Black Friday," she explained to the publication.
The GC also plugs her own business ventures - including her own fragrance line, Diva Pink, as well as GC-themed candy and other merchandise, and her recent £1million deal with fashion retailer New Look.
The Sun reports Gemma was forced to hand over control of her finances to beloved dad Alan in 2020 - prior to "quietly becoming a millionaire in lockdown".
According to company records, the reality TV legend made £760,000 during the pandemic, and the publication claims that if you factor in over £230,000 worth of assets, her wealth was tipped over the million mark for the first time in her impressive career.
"People underestimated me […] I wasn’t the prettiest or the slimmest, yet I’d say I’m the most successful woman to come out of the show, and I’m not done yet," Gemma previously declared when discussing her work ethic.
"When a lot of them were partying and lying on their sun loungers, I was building my career. We were all given the same opportunity and you’ve got to make the most of it."
Promoting one of her brand partnerships last year, Gemma didn't rule out expanding into the lucrative sex toy industry when chatting with the Mirror about Durex's pleasure-based campaign.
The Mirror asked the sex-positive star if she would ever considering following in the footsteps of stars like Lily Allen and releasing her own range of adult toys, as she dished the dirt about her passionate sex-life with fiance Rami Hawash.
"I've never thought of it. We should be more open about sex," she answered July 2021.
"Sex is like a taboo subject - a rude subject we don't speak about. I don't believe it should be - it should be something spoken about more often."
"I'm not ruling it out," Gemma added.
"But I'm planning to have a baby at some point so maybe not this year. Maybe I'll leave that to the other girls and guys."
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