Gemma Collins Mingles with Former PM and Strikes Gold at Cheltenham Races
Reality television personality Gemma Collins recently enjoyed a remarkably successful day at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival, blending high-stakes betting with an unexpected encounter in the VIP stands. The former The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) star, aged 45, reportedly found herself in conversation with none other than former Prime Minister David Cameron.
The encounter, which took place on Thursday, saw Mr. Cameron, 59, approaching Collins for a photograph. Sources close to the situation described Collins as being “honoured” by the request. The unlikely pair then reportedly engaged in a discussion about politics while situated in the VIP enclosures. Mr. Cameron, who served as Prime Minister from 2010 to 2016, was accompanied by his wife, Samantha, 54, who also posed for a picture with the reality star.
Collins took to her Instagram account to share her excitement about the day, posting a picture with the caption: “Fabulous day with @ruthcotterr @paddypowerofficial and it was lovely to be In the Royal Box and have a good chat with @dwdcameron and his lovely wife we spoke politics and what we was going to bet on next.” A source privy to the conversation revealed that the discussion touched upon politics and Collins’s admiration for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
Beyond the celebrity encounters, Cheltenham proved to be a significant financial success for Collins. She reportedly raked in a staggering £20,000 from her betting ventures throughout the day. A substantial portion of this winnings, £5,000, was secured from a single £500 bet.
The reality star expressed her elation with a memorable outburst during a post-betting lunch, exclaiming, “I’m f***ing loaded!” and adding, “I’m coming home with 20 large ones.” Her impressive haul came on day three of the races, with a significant win stemming from her horse, Meetmebythesea, which triumphed in the 2pm race with odds of 9/1.
Collins celebrated her racing success by posting a video on Instagram, fanning herself with a wad of bank notes while Britney Spears’s track “Work Bitch” played in the background. Her accompanying caption read: “Absolutely had the best day ever I’ve been very lucky today ☘️☘️ @paddypower_official thank you for all the luck ☘️ I’ve absolutely smashed it out the park today with the horse picks.”
Arriving at the festival via helicopter, Collins cut a striking figure. She sported a plaid coat with distinctive brown furry sleeves, a silk headscarf, pink gloves, and her signature sunglasses. She also carried a large Mulberry Bayswater bag.
Gemma Collins’s “I’m A Celebrity… South Africa” Redemption Arc
The Cheltenham Festival success comes after Collins’s recent participation in the I’m A Celebrity… South Africa series, an all-stars edition of the popular reality show. Collins, who previously withdrew from the Australian jungle after just three days in 2014 due to overwhelming fears, confessed to feeling like the iconic action hero Lara Croft while tackling the trials.
She revealed that the experience provided a sense of redemption after over a decade of feeling overshadowed by her initial jungle meltdown, which became a viral meme. Speaking at the launch of the I’m A Celeb All Stars series, Collins explained her motivation for returning: “Obviously, it didn’t work out for me the first time around. When I got asked to do it again, I thought I had spent my whole life with this black cloud hanging over my head. I am older now, I just thought, I have to do this before whatever happens to me in my life, I must go back into that jungle. It was one regret I had. This was a total redemption from me.”
Collins elaborated on the psychological impact of the show, stating, “On a real one, I went in there as Gemma Collins and it’s like the GC is the bravado and she’ll have a laugh and whatever, but I was so stripped bare because I knew it was so disastrous the time before.”
Despite anticipating the challenges of heights, insects, and the general camp conditions, Collins found the trials to be even more demanding than her initial experience. She admitted to nearly backing out before even boarding the plane to South Africa. Her makeup artist reportedly had to intervene at Heathrow Airport to encourage her to proceed.
“I got told I was going to a cocktail party so I had a full silk gown on and I turned the corner and you know what they’re like, bless you, producers, they go to me ‘Gem, it’s all good, you’re going in, you’re going to have a few drinks with everyone, it’s like a welcome meeting’ but honestly it was nothing like that,” she recounted. “It’s so surreal. Nothing can prepare you for what comes next. It was so much tougher than before. I was absolutely bricking it, and I was petrified. My makeup artist had to slap me at Heathrow airport because I sat there and said ‘I don’t think I can go through with this.’ I was petrified but I took a deep breath and went in strong.”
Ironically, the most significant challenge for Collins wasn’t the physical trials or the harsh environment, but rather the absence of her two domestic dishwashers. She shared, “The one thing that troubled me though was the copious amounts of washing up because I was on camp duty with Adam Thomas and it was a massive camp, I’m not going to lie, I have two dishwashers at home.”
Collins concluded by reflecting on the transformative nature of the jungle experience: “It was all part of camp life, it really grounds you again going in there. It brings you back to simplicity; it breaks you in ways you have never been broken before. I left some trials broken with every inch of my life, I can’t describe the pain I felt.”
