A mum who introduced her family to the world of modelling has told of the vile abuse they've received from online trolls - forcing them to move home twice.
Gemma Keogh, her husband Stephen, and their three children — Briannah, 11, Kenneth, eight and six-year-old Kayden — immediately started seeing success when they embarked on careers in modelling four years ago.
The family from Oldham, Greater Manchester, has since booked a number of big shoots for brands including Legoland and Sea Life.
But their modelling success hasn't come without its downfalls, as Gemma reveals that the online abuse they've received is so bad they've had to relocate twice, and that she is undergoing counselling.
“We think it’s jealousy because we’ve bettered ourselves and bettered our children,” Gemma told the Manchester Evening News.
“I’ve thrived because of our successes and because I’ve made something of myself. I’m very proud of what we have done.
“But some people are not so happy at what we’re doing. I’ve used that as a positive, not a negative, to push through and help my children and husband grow."
The family career all started with Gemma, who quit her job as a cleaner 11 years ago to pursue her dream of modelling and acting.
At first, the 35-year-old booked small jobs as extras, before going freelance and climbing the ladder.
She's now appeared in well-known soaps including Hollyoaks and Coronation Street and has also shot a number of adverts for brands including Adidas and Junkyard Golf.
The mum-of-three even has her own business – Gemz Modelling Academy – to help beginner models and decided to introduce her own family to the industry in 2018.
After finding success herself, Gemma convinced her husband Stephen — who owns a construction business — to go to a casting audition.
Stephen was successful in the audition and went on to sign his first contract.
The couple's children then followed in their parent's footsteps and applied to various production companies, where they've taken part in regular shoots.
But despite the family's success, Gemma says they've been subject to abuse from strangers on the internet and have been hounded so much they've had to move twice.
She explained: “Sometimes I'll get an inbox from someone I don't know. Sometimes they will say good things, sometimes they won't.
“It’s been brought to light a few times to the point where we’ve had to relocate twice because we’ve not been left alone.
"But we’re still doing our modelling and we have a big family shoot booked in April. Our success has been pushing out of the negative and into the positive, and that’s what the moral of the story is.”
Alongside her busy work life, Gemma also holds fashion show fundraisers for Greater Manchester charities including Mustard Tree — which helps combat poverty, inequality and homelessness in the region.
Gemma says the trolls have also taken a toll on her relationship and mental health but insists she won't let it get in the way of her family's success.
She added: “It really took me back to be honest. It’s damaged part of my relationship because it went on for years.
"It sometimes gets heated when we talk about it and I break down quite a lot. I’m in counselling because of it.
“We’re just trying to deal with it. It’s very strange and upsetting. We’ve had a lot of trolling to the point where I’ve had doctors and nurses tell me I’m very strong as a human. I won’t let it take me or my family down.”
