Gemma Collins's New Channel 4 Documentary Sees Her Open Up About Self-Harm

Reality star Gemma Collins is releasing an all-new documentary with Channel 4 that delves into her experience with self-harm. Titled "Gemma Collins: Self-Harm and Me", the documentary will see Collins discussing her journey with her therapist and her fiancé, Rami, alongside visiting a self-harm support group in Essex to hear about other people's experiences and the mental health resources available. Collins also meets Caroline Harrow, cofounder and CEO of the charity Harmless, which provides support to people who do, or might be at risk of, self-harm.

In the documentary, Collins says that "The public don't know Gemma — they know 'The GC'. Everyone sees me as this strong character. I'm actually a very soft, sensitive person — very few people get to see that side of me." She added that "I first self-harmed when I was at school. It was just something I did in private for 20 years. I haven't cut myself since my early 30s . . . After my 30s, I think I went onto a different sort of harm with bad partners, bad relationships with food — it's all different types of self-harm."

According to figures from the NHS, 1 in 15 people in the UK have self-harmed at some point in their lives, with 1 in 6 16-24 year olds self-harming. The documentary aims to "help to build a greater understanding of why some young people use self-harm as a way to deal with poor mental health, and that it will encourage viewers who are struggling to get the support they need", according to Mind's head of media and PR, Alex Bushill.

"Gemma Collins: Self-Harm and Me" airs on 16 Feb. at 9 p.m.