Gemma Collins became tearful on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? as she made a family discovery alongside her mum.
The TV star, 43, traced her mum Joan’s biological mother – who may have been forced to give her up to a foster family. However, Joan spent most of her life believing her mother had abandoned her.
In Thursday’s episode of the BBC show, the pair discovered that Joan’s mum might have had no choice but to give her up amid misdiagnosed mental health problems.
Gemma Collins on Who Do You Think You Are?
At the start of the episode, Gemma became tearful as she read out the fostering letter for her mum. It detailed the family who took in Joan as a baby.
She said: “God, this is a lot,” as she wiped away tears.
Later, they found out that Gemma’s grandmother was in and out of psychiatric hospitals from the age of 13.
At that time, in 1951, doctors gave her the label of ‘chronic schizophrenia’.
However, an expert on the show explained that doctors thought of ‘schizophrenia’ in the 1950s as different to now.
Gemma and her mum
Dr Claire Hilton called the label “a bit of a red herring”. She added that Gemma’s grandmother might have had to give up Joan as a baby as an unmarried and teenage mother.
At that time, Dr Claire explained that society “frowned” upon this.
Her mother did try to see her. I can’t wait to tell my mum.
Dr Claire told the former TOWIE star: “Your grandmother went into care when she was about six months pregnant. That would have been when the pregnancy was showing.
“And the socials ideals at the time was that women would get married before they had children. It was very much frowned on by society. You’re not going to be able to bring that child up on your own.
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“Young, single women were not given much choice in the matter.”
Gemma became emotional as she said: “This information upsets me because their actions left my mum feeling like she wasn’t good enough because her mum didn’t want her.
“And actually today, reading between the lines, my mum was taken away from her mother and her mother did try to see her. I can’t wait to tell my mum.”
Read more: ‘Shaken’ Gemma Collins and nephew ‘lucky to survive’ storm on Sicily holiday
Gemma’s Who Do You Think You Are? episode is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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