Reality star Gemma Collins has announced the death of her “beautiful mum” Joan, who had been suffering from pneumonia.
Collins, who starred on The Only Way Is Essex, shared a black-and-white photo of her mother on Instagram and said her heart is “shattered into a million pieces”.
Joan made several appearances on Towie over the years and had celebrated her 50th anniversary with Collins’s father Alan in March.
She was taken to hospital in June after coming down with pneumonia for the second time in the space of six months.
Collins wrote: “Mum, Today, every piece of my heart left with you.
“No words will ever be enough to thank you for loving me, guiding me, and being my mum. You gave me life, you gave me strength, and you gave me memories that I will carry for every day I have left.”
She said that “the house will never sound the same” without her mother.
“Your voice, your smile, your little ways, they are woven into every corner of my life. I will miss you more than I could ever put into words.
“I hope you are finally free from pain. I hope you can walk again, laugh again, and feel light. I hope you are surrounded by peace and by everyone who has gone before you, watching over us with love.”
She said it had been the “greatest privilege” to be Joan’s daughter.
“Thank you for every hug, every sacrifice, every lesson, and every moment,” she wrote.
“Until we meet again, I will carry your love with me. I will look for you in the sunrise, in the flowers, in the birds singing, and in the quiet moments when I need you most.
“Sleep peacefully, my beautiful Mum what gives me comfort was today we was all with you.
“You will be loved forever, missed every single day, and never, ever forgotten.”
Collins shot to fame as a Towie mainstay between 2011 and 2015.
She became a fan favourite due to her flamboyant personality and has since become a regular on television on shows including I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
In January, she announced that she is having a baby and getting married to her fiance Rami Hawash in 2026.