Gemma Collins reveals the unexpected gift she’s asked friends and family to get her for Christmas

CHANNEL 4 bosses could be excused for thinking that booking Gemma Collins for The Greatest Snowman might be a pain in the snowballs.

But nowadays the reality TV diva is all about peace, love, and “realness”.

Gemma told me: “It’s not a secret that, growing up, we didn’t even have a toaster.

"I came from a poor back-ground, then obviously what’s happened to me happened to me — and I’ve worked my absolute gonads off and become successful.

“But let me tell you, the real happiness in life is to have nothing and still be happy.

“Christmas is focused on so much materialism but it’s the little things in life that cost nothing and mean the most.

“With The Greatest Snowman I just thought, ‘Do you know what? This sounds fun, I’m gonna do it’.

“It’s the same thing, it’s real, you just need gloves and some creativity to make a snowman.”

And Gemma, once known for her blingtastic lifestyle as the self-styled Queen of Essex, really does mean her festive message of not being materialistic.

She added: “I absolutely don’t want anything for Christmas this year. I’ve asked everyone who wants to get me something to make a charitable donation.

“I think there’s far too much excess that goes on and you’ve got to keep it real.

“You’ve got to strip it back, it’s not about the gifts.”

After finding fame on The Only Way Is Essex in 2011, Gemma has become one of the country’s most recognisable faces, earning millions through appearances on shows including I’m A Celebrity, Celebrity Big Brother and Dancing On Ice.

But Gemma now prefers the simple life at her house in the countryside, which has inspired another message for Britain this festive season.

She said: “I hope everyone is going to be having a turkey-free Christmas. Let’s save the turkeys this year.

'All we did was laugh’

“My dad and my brother are vegan and I’m certainly getting more that way.

“Certainly I don’t agree with hundreds and hundreds of turkeys being absolutely murdered for the sake of our stomachs.”

In past years, Gemma has vowed to quit meat full-time, but she added: “I don’t make New Year’s resolutions ’cos you never stick to them.”

For now, Gemma is simply concentrating on Christmas.

She got into the festive spirit early by putting on a leopard-print snowsuit and going to the Alps to join The Greatest Snowman, which is back for a second series.

Gemma will be seen competing alongside choir- master Gareth Malone, In-betweeners actor Joe Thomas and DJs Melvin Odoom and Yinka Bokinni to create icy sculptures on the piste under the watchful eye of design guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and host Sue Perkins.

Gemma said: “You might as well call me Van Gogh on ice, because my creations were unbelievable. I did a portrait of myself and a unicorn and it was fabulous.

“It was so much fun. From the minute I turned up, all we did was laugh.

“We had snowball fights, there was loads of drinking hot chocolate and I fell over a million and one times, as you can imagine.”

Gemma added: “Me and Sue became so close working on the show, we got on absolutely famously.

“It was non-stop laughter. It’s gonna be Mel and Sue for ever but this TV show is GC and the Perkins, 100 per cent.”

• Channel 4’s The Greatest Snowman is on Boxing Day at 7.30pm.

Nikita is a menu master

Nikita Pathakji doesn’t know how she can top being crowned MasterChef: The Professionals champion.

Her dishes of sea bass, crispy chicken thighs and cardamon and custard tart sounded like a winning menu in my book.

Judges Gregg Wallace, Marcus Wareing and Anna Haugh certainly agreed.

Last night BBC1 viewers saw her take the 2022 title after cooking for 20 Michelin- starred chefs who gathered to assess the three finalists at London’s Lanesborough Hotel.

Derby-born Nikita, a junior sous chef at Kitchen W8 in London, said: “I can’t put it into words. It surpasses every achievement of my life. I don’t know how I’m going to top this. This is the peak, I think I’ve reached it.”

Marcus added: “Her food has been sublime and she’s always come up with an amazing twist.”