E-bike and e-scooter fires reached a record high last year, an investigation has found, with concerns being raised over batteries sold through online marketplaces

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FIRES caused by e-bikes and e-scooters hit a record high last year, an investigation has revealed, prompting warnings to riders about purchasing from online marketplaces.

Fire brigade statistics obtained by the Press Association reveal that 432 e-bike blazes were recorded across the UK in 2025. That represents a 38% rise from 313 the previous year, and is more than five times higher than the 84 incidents recorded in 2021.

There were 147 e-scooter fires last year, marking a 20% increase from 123 in 2024. In 2021, that figure stood at 88. E-bike and e-scooter fires are frequently triggered by the failure of batteries, conversion kits or chargers.

Products purchased from online marketplaces have been found to carry a greater risk of malfunctioning than those sold by established retailers, as they are not subject to the same level of regulation.

Nick Bailey of BatteryIQ, which provides a system to monitor the safety of e-bike batteries, said the e-bikes and e-scooters involved in fires are “always cut-price products sold through online marketplaces with lax quality control”.

He went on to say: “There’s also a growing black market in DIY and counterfeit batteries, particularly for delivery riders, built using battery cells reclaimed from used disposable vapes.

“I wouldn’t keep a battery in my home without continuous monitoring – regardless of what the manufacturer’s sticker says.” The Press Association submitted Freedom of Information requests to all 49 fire services across the UK, requesting figures for e-bike and e-scooter fires recorded annually between 2021 and 2025.

Thirty-seven services supplied comparable data. London Fire Brigade (LFB) logged far more e-bike and e-scooter fires last year than anywhere else, with 171 and 35 respectively.

Nottinghamshire recorded the highest number of e-bike fires (30) beyond the capital, with Greater Manchester following (13). Avon Fire and Rescue Service reported the next highest figure (10).

Greater Manchester experienced the most e-scooter fires (13) outside London, ahead of Avon Fire and Rescue Service (10). Fires involving lithium batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters can spread quickly and generate toxic vapour.

Eden Abera Siem, 30, died in hospital after firefighters rescued her when a blaze, which investigators determined was likely caused by a failing charging e-bike battery, erupted at her home on Lordship Lane, Wood Green, north London on 21 June last year. It marked the fourth fatal e-bike fire in the capital.

Lesley Rudd, chief executive of charity Electrical Safety First, said the problem of fires caused by substandard e-bike and e-scooter batteries is “swiftly becoming a runaway train that needs to be stopped”.

She continued: “Poorly made batteries and accessories, often sold via under-regulated online marketplaces, are of huge concern, and are a major route through which dangerous devices are entering people’s homes. Without strong and enforceable changes, lives are at serious risk and further loss of life is, sadly, inevitable.”

Last week the Government unveiled three consultations outlining proposals to strengthen product safety across the UK, which include online marketplaces being legally obliged to “prevent, identify and remove dangerous products being sold via their platforms”.

Spencer Sutcliff, deputy commissioner of LFB, stated that the brigade is “extremely concerned around the issue of e-bike and e-scooter fires, and the devastating impact these fires can have on lives and livelihoods”.

He further noted that its firefighters “continue to be called out to a worrying amount” of such incidents. Privately-owned e-scooters have been prohibited from Transport for London’s (TfL’s) network since December 2021 owing to their fire risk.

This ban was extended to non-foldable e-bikes across the majority of TfL services in March last year, following an e-bike catching fire on a platform at Rayners Lane Tube station.

Private e-scooters are forbidden from use in public spaces throughout the UK, though they are frequently ridden illegally across many urban areas.

Legal trials of rental e-scooters on roads have been under way in towns and cities across England since July 2020. Under UK legislation, e-bike motors are required to cut out upon reaching 15.5mph. However, police are increasingly discovering that many have been tampered with to achieve significantly higher speeds.

Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer rights policy, said: “Online marketplaces are increasingly saturated with unsafe products. E-bikes and e-scooters are just some examples of items that can pose serious risks to consumers, while also undercutting responsible businesses that comply with the law.

“The Government has launched a much-needed consultation on updating the product safety framework, including duties for online marketplaces to prevent unsafe products from being sold by third-party sellers.

“These duties must be strong and enforceable, with clear measures in place to protect consumers and reduce the risk of fires and other harm.”

There was a colour party of people wearing face coverings, sunglasses and paramilitary-style dress, carrying the Irish flag and republican flags

A dissident republican parade has taken place in Derry.

The annual Easter Monday parade in Derry marks the Easter Rising against British rule in Dublin in 1916.

The parade started in the Central Drive area of Creggan before making its way to the City Cemetery.

A police helicopter monitored the procession overhead but there was no visible police presence on the ground.

There was a colour party of people wearing face coverings, sunglasses and paramilitary-style dress, carrying the Irish flag and republican flags.

A crowd of a couple of hundred people followed the parade to the cemetery, including a number of young people with their faces covered, some carrying petrol bombs and planks of wood.

The event, billed as the “Unfinished Revolution National Easter Commemoration”, concluded with speeches at the cemetery.

A small fire was started in the middle of the road outside some shops in the Creggan area.

The organisers of the parade – the National Republican Commemoration Committee – had applied to the Parades Commission for permission for the Easter Monday event.

In its determination allowing the march to proceed, the commission explicitly prohibited the wearing of paramilitary-style clothes and flags linked to proscribed organisations.

In a statement the PSNI said that from the beginning of the parade to when it dispersed, “a number of participants were observed to be wearing paramilitary-style uniforms, believed to be an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, and a breach of the Parades Commission determination”.

Area Commander of Derry City and Strabane, Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney, said: “The outcomes of our investigations from previous years illustrates that where offences occur, we will investigate.

“As this is now a live investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment any further.”

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Claire initially felt a pain in her neck when drinking alcoholic drinks

A young woman who felt a pain in her neck when sipping alcohol with friends was devastated to find out what it meant. Claire Dougherty said she started experiencing pain in her ear and down the left side of her neck in August 2025.

The 22 year old says her neck also felt ‘tense and swollen’, but that the pain would worsen every time she drank alcohol. Claire visited her doctor about the symptoms the same month, which they initially put down to allergies, and prescribed her with allergy medication.

But medical assistant Claire says the pain would come ‘roaring back into her neck’ every time she drank alcohol – and made her neck feel so stiff it felt like she could barely move. Claire, who would drink socially with friends, says she initially thought the pain only happened when she drank vodka.

Yet she later discovered it would return when drinking wine and gin too. After her symptoms continued to worsen, Claire returned to her doctor in September 2025.

Doctors ordered Claire a CT scan, which revealed that she had a tumour wrapped around her windpipe that was slowly suffocating her. Claire had a biopsy taken and, on November 19, 2025, she received the devastating diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

The NHS lists pain in the neck, armpit or groin when drinking alcohol as a symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma. According to Healthline, the pain is caused by swelling in the lymph nodes or disease-affected tissue as a result of blood vessel dilation after consuming alcohol.

On December 3, 2025, Claire started the first of six rounds of chemotherapy treatment, which she completed earlier this month [February 11], and is now waiting to start radiotherapy treatment. Now, Claire is urging other people who experience similar symptoms to ‘push for testing’.

Claire, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, said: “I started having symptoms in the middle of August. It was all of this pain in the base of my neck on the left side and travelling up my neck into my left ear.

“It felt like the most painful spot was my inner ear, I assumed that it was an ear problem that was then causing pain in my neck. I noticed that the front of my neck felt tense and maybe a little swollen and a little painful to touch.

“I just assumed that it was a lymph node, if anything, associated with the ear pain so I wasn’t that concerned about it.”

Claire says she became more concerned about the pain when it would worsen each time she drank alcohol. She visited her doctor with the symptoms in August 2025 and was prescribed allergy meds that didn’t help.

Claire said: “The first day that I really noticed [the pain] I had been drinking wine at dinner. The pain felt really tense and came on suddenly.

“I went to the doctor pretty soon after that because the ear pain wouldn’t go away. I went to visit a friend that weekend and I was taking a bunch of allergy meds and not getting better.

“We went out to dinner and got drinks and I was halfway through a Moscow Mule and all the pain came raging back and my neck got so stiff. My ear hurt so much I couldn’t enjoy the rest of the dinner.

“A couple weeks after that I went out with my dad to dinner, we were at a work event with an open bar and I got a [hard] seltzer. I was halfway into this seltzer and the pain came roaring back into my neck – it was so stiff I felt like I could barely move it and there was a stabbing pain in my ear.”

Initially, Claire thought the pain was caused when she drank vodka but later discovered that it would happen when drinking other types of alcohol too. Claire said: “For a little bit every drink was a vodka drink so I kind of told myself maybe it was something [to do] with vodka.

“[I thought] I had an intolerance to vodka but then eventually I had a gin drink and a wine and they made it hurt too so it didn’t really matter what alcohol it was.”

Claire says the pain would make her ‘nervous’ and ‘worry’ about going out with friends. Claire said: “I was drinking socially if I was going out with friends but it was tough because I had no reason I couldn’t be drinking, but it would make everything so much worse.

“I was very in my head about it and I got nervous every time I would drink because I was worried that it would make it [the pain] bad.”

Claire says she returned to her doctor in September 2025 who felt her neck and noticed a lump and had a CT scan and surgical biopsy in October 2025. After receiving the stage two blood cancer diagnosis on November 19 2025, Claire has since undergone six rounds of chemotherapy treatment and is waiting to start radiotherapy.

Claire said: “Luckily I don’t need surgery. I had to do six rounds of chemo, which I finished on February 11, so I’m coming out of that right now and I’m starting radiation for my neck area. I’m doing 20 sessions of that for four weeks.”

In addition to pain when she drank alcohol, Claire says she’d also been experiencing breathlessness, which she later discovered was due to the tumour crushing her windpipe. Claire said: “The breathlessness had been getting so much worse and then it hit a point where it was really bad because the tumour was wrapped around the trachea [windpipe].

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“[After having chemotherapy treatment] I can breathe great now, the tumour is basically gone.”

Claire is now urging other people who experience similar symptoms to push for testing. Claire said: “My advice is to take every test possible. Push for them [doctors] to order as many scans as possible, I know that’s easier said than done.

“I hated going and getting all of the testing done but it’s worth it to know what’s going on in your body and to get that peace of mind.”

WHAT IS HODGKIN LYMPHOMA? (Info from NHS)

• Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that affects the white blood cells that help you fight infection.
• The most common symptom of Hodgkin Lymphoma is a painless lump, usually in the neck, armpit or groin.
• Other symptoms include pain in your neck when drinking alcohol, high temperature, night sweats and itchy skin.
• Treatments include chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

From ‘she’s one of our own, she’s one of our own’ to ‘Mrs G, Mrs G’.

You could have been forgiven for thinking it was a raucous Teesside crowd roaring on Middlesbrough in their pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.

Mrs Gullon says goodbye to Levendale Primary School after almost 30 years Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Instead, it was the thunderous noise from dozens of staff and students past and present who were giving the treasured teaching assistant a glorious send-off after nearly 30 years in the classroom.

Mrs Gullon says goodbye to Levendale Primary School after almost 30 years Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Family, friends and neighbours joined with current and former alumni of Levendale Primary School in Yarm to cheer and chant Jill Gullon into retirement, as she walked out of the place that has been her second home for the last time on Thursday.

The 69-year-old started out as a dinner lady at the school back in 1998, when Bryan Robson was in the dugout at the Riverside Stadium and Pete Sampras was dominating on the grass courts at Wimbledon, but made the decision to call time on her career before the Easter break – and is looking forward to “being able to go on holiday in term time now”.

Jo Lewis, headteacher at the Yarm school, described Mrs Gullon as an “inspirational teaching assistant” who would leave a “lasting legacy of commitment to the children at Levendale”.

Mrs Gullon says goodbye to Levendale Primary School after almost 30 years Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Her final day was marked with a special assembly, tributes from those she taught and worked with over the last three decades, and a final walkout with Boro-themed anthems sung by pupils she’s spent as much time discussing football with as reading and writing in recent months.

She said: “It has been so overwhelming and emotional. I am so grateful to have been able to work in such a lovely school and get such a lovely reaction from everyone.

“I was so shocked and surprised to see people I taught such a long time ago or worked with all those years ago – I really am very touched they have taken the trouble to come along.”

Mrs Gullon, who spent her final school year helping pupils in Years One, Two and Five and also ran the school’s unofficial Boro Breakdown fan club, admitted she had mixed feelings about her retirement.

Mrs Gullon says goodbye to Levendale Primary School after almost 30 years Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

“I am sad to be leaving the place I have gone into every day of the week and have such good friends and memories – but I am looking forward to having a holiday during term time,” she said.

“It has been really special to work with so many amazing children and touch so many lives.

“I will never forget the experiences we have shared together. The sporting activities and the extracurricular activities, but also sitting and working with them and helping them to achieve their potential. I loved making learning fun.

“The staff have been amazing. We’re a real team at Levendale who really support each other when the going gets tough.”

After spending a few months on lunchtime duties, Mrs Gullon began gradually increasing her time at the school in other roles before she eventually applied for a teaching assistant role, which she “loved from day one”.

“That was the aim of the job at the beginning, to develop literacy skills and help where I can.

“I’ve loved helping the children be the best they can be, especially those to whom learning doesn’t come easy. There is nothing more rewarding seeing the smile on their faces when something they’ve been struggling with finally clicks.”

Mrs Gullon says goodbye to Levendale Primary School after almost 30 years Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Headteacher Mrs Lewis added: “We are delighted that Mrs Gullon got the send off she deserves after 27 years at Levendale.

“She has been an inspirational teaching assistant, often going above and beyond to enhance the education of the children.

“Her enthusiasm for the role has made her a much-loved member of staff and she will be really missed by the whole school community.

“Often dedicating her own time to extra-curricular activities, such as visits to watch Middlesbrough Football Club and sporting events, she leaves a lasting legacy of commitment to the children at Levendale.

“We wish her every happiness in her well-deserved retirement.”

Hollyoaks is delivering the unmissable drama once more next week, with a chaotic and explosive stunt week set to change everything for a number of fan-favourites as major characters are feared dead.

The Channel 4 soap is currently in the middle of a high-octane week following Clare Devine’s (Gemma Bissix) escape from prison, with the storyline in question set to reach a dramatic peak in the coming episodes.

But the drama doesn’t stop there, as the subsequent week will see the aftermath of the big scenes as questions are asked about what happened with Clare, while the arrival of a new family amid the exit plot of a main character proves catastrophic.

Frankie Osborne (Isabelle Smith), as viewers know, is excited for a fresh start after a traumatic few years. On the cusp of achieving her dream in heading to dance school in London, her nearest and dearest gather together to see her off in style.

Emotional scenes ensue at The Loft amid her leaving party as Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson), who gifts his daughter some new ballet shoes, delivers an emotional speech.

This proves overwhelming for Diane Hutchinson (Alex Fletcher), who heads to the bathroom, devastated at the prospect of missing all the milestones her children will hit when she’s gone. Leela Dexter (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) offers support.

Frankie, meanwhile, prepares to exit the village she’s called home for years and she’s delighted to hear that Vicky Grant (Anya Lawrence) is going on a date with Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan).

The trio set off together as Charlie drives Frankie to her train. Tony (Nick Pickard), however, realises that they’ve left Frankie’s dancing shoes behind and offers to drive to the station to catch up with them. Diane asks Leela to go with him, wondering if she might be good for Tony.

Elsewhere, new family the Keanes are excited for a fresh start and thus they set off on a drive to their new home in Hollyoaks village – to surprise their family that already live there.

Son Caleb (Lewis Walton), however, notices on the way that his phone needs charging and thus undoes his seatbelt to locate the device.

Frankie, meanwhile, realises that she left her ballet shoes behind and, panicked, she informs Charlie, who turns the car around, speeding up to keep time.

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They find themselves behind the Keanes’ removal van and, when overtaking fails, Frankie goes to beep the horn, which causes Charlie to swerve, clipping the van as both vehicles go off road!

Later, Leela is helping Tony in navigating to the station when they encounter the van turned over on the side of the road.

The question is: is everyone still alive? Are there casualties? And will everyone make it to the hospital on time before tragedy strikes?

Elsewhere in the village…

Donny Clark (Louis Emerick) is on the case of finding what really happened with Clare and thus presses for information. Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerin) tries to shut him down while Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) confronts Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) on her manipulation.

Donny turns his attention to Warren but both fail to realise that Jenson Cole (Ryan Clayton) is listening in. Jenson later confronts Warren over his conversation with Donny but Warren tells him to keep out of it.

Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi), meanwhile, urges Donny to stop looking for answers on what happened to Clare.

Elsewhere, Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) offers Cleo support with a hug, much to devastated Theresa’s (Jorgie Porter) dismay. Theresa later tells Dodger that she’s not the nice person he thinks she is.

Kathleen-Angel (Naledi Rapotu) isn’t pleased that she’s been grounded from seeing Ant (Brook Debio) and tells her mum that she heard her conversation with Dodger. The question is: just what has she overheard?

Cleo, meanwhile, tells Sienna that she’s still the woman she fell in love with.

Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.

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MORE: Hollyoaks spoilers for next week reveal unexpected proposal as devastating news is confirmed

MORE: All Hollyoaks spoilers for next week as Rex takes a major step

MORE: Brookside’s Jacqui Dixon returns to TV after Alex Fletcher confirms Hollyoaks exit

Four astronauts travelling around the moon sent a heartfelt message before a communication blackout as they passed the dark side of the lunar surface on NASA’s historic Artemis 2 mission

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The astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis 2 mission around the moon delivered an emotional six-word message before losing contact with Earth.

On 1 April, NASA launched its 10-day crewed mission to send humans farther into space than ever before. It marks the first human flight to the moon since 1972.

The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft successfully completed a lunar orbit in the early hours of Tuesday, 7 April, during which they lost contact with Earth for a period. However, the crew left a touching message before communications were severed.

“As we prepare to go out of radio communication… to all of you down there on Earth, and around Earth – we love you from the moon.”

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of the US and Jeremy Hansen of Canada lost contact with Mission Control for approximately 40 minutes. This was an anticipated communication blackout as they passed over the dark side of the moon.

The crew reported witnessing the features of the mysterious lunar far side, as well as a total solar eclipse from their vantage point.

NASA confirmed that the spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth during this mission, “suspected to be” about 252,756 miles, venturing farther from our planet than any human has ever travelled and surpassing Apollo 13’s record set in 1970.

The crew have since re-established contact with Mission Control and are now making their journey back to Earth.

Dr Jas Sagoo has warned against taking too long

A dentist is advising Brits who eat Easter eggs to do so in one go. Dr Jas Sagoo, a leading general and cosmetic dentist at Perfect Smile Spa, has warned grazing on chocolate over time could accelerate the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

He says this is because intermittent grazing on food and drinks that contain sugar can cause bacteria in the mouth to feed on it and produce acids that attack tooth enamel. Dr Sagoo says it takes the mouth up to an hour for acidity levels to return to normal after eating sugar. So snacking on your Easter egg across several hours can actually leave your teeth exposed to acids for longer, he says.

Not only does he claim this can this accelerate your risk of tooth decay and gum disease, it can also lead to cavities. While he doesn’t ever recommend bingeing on chocolate, Dr Sagoo says it’s better to eat Easter chocolate in one sitting rather pieces than throughout the day.

Dr Jas said: “Chocolate eggs are a popular treat in the UK at this time of year, and they can certainly be enjoyed in moderation. However, we should always be mindful of the direct link between high sugar consumption and the harmful effects it can have on our dental health.

“Intermittent grazing on foods and drinks that contain sugar can accelerate the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. From a dental point of view, it’s better to enjoy a sweet treat in one go rather than snack on it throughout the day.

“It can take the mouth up to an hour for acidity levels to return to normal after eating sugar, so grazing several across several hours leaves your teeth exposed to acids for longer. While I don’t recommend bingeing on chocolate at any time, it is better for your teeth to eat it at once than spread out across hours or days.”

Chocolate eggs can contain a large amount of sugar and therefore should be enjoyed responsibly to keep your teeth at their best. To keep risks at a minimum, it is advised to look for options with the least added sugar and higher percentage of cocoa.

Jas said: “Chocolate eggs can certainly be enjoyed responsibly this Easter, and following a few helpful tips can help keep your oral hygiene at its best. Choose options with a lower percentage of sugar and try to limit consumption to meal times, if possible.

“Rinse your mouth with water to help banish the acids that can otherwise linger and attack enamel. It’s also important not to brush your teeth right away after eating sugar. Wait between 30 to 60 minutes to avoid weakening tooth enamel and allow your mouth to return to its natural pH level.

“A good oral hygiene routine should include brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride-based toothpaste, as well as flossing once per day. It’s also important to have a dental check-up every six months to keep a close eye on potential problems such as tooth decay and gum disease.”

For more information, visit https://perfectsmilespa.com/

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard a witness reported seeing a young female being dragged by a man through the Cornmarket area in a distressed state at around 9.30pm on Saturday.

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A 15-year-old girl was allegedly taken to the boiler room of an underground car park in Belfast city centre to be raped, a court heard on Monday.

Police claimed Jamie Donald, 28, carried out a “predatory” sexual assault at the Victoria Square facilities on Saturday night.

Donald, of no fixed abode, insists all contact with the girl he believed to be older was fully consensual.

He was refused bail on a disputed charge of rape and remanded in custody until later this month.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard a witness reported seeing a young female being dragged by a man through the Cornmarket area in a distressed state at around 9.30pm on Saturday.

The girl later informed officers the defendant had approached and tried to kiss her while she was with friends outside a cafe near City Hall.

According to her initial account, she told Donald her age and went with him towards Victoria Square to use the toilets.

He became more aggressive when they reached the underground carpark area, it was claimed.

She was led to a boiler room and storage area in the lower level where the alleged sexual assault took place.

The witness raised the alarm after meeting the pair on their way back towards the cafe.

Donald was arrested nearby and initially taken to hospital after disclosing that he had taken drugs, the court heard.

During subsequent police interviews he insisted the encounter had been fully consensual.

He claimed the girl called him over and then initiated sexual contact in which she was a willing participant.

“His case is that she brought him down to the underground carpark, to the boiler room where all of this activity took place,” an investigating detective said.

Cross-examined by Donald’s lawyer, he confirmed an official evidential interview with the girl has been postponed to a later date.

Defence solicitor Una Conway argued he should not have been charged before that procedure was carried out.

The court also heard Donald claims the girl told him she was 17, and that a friend had backed her up.

Ms Conway insisted CCTV recordings corroborated his version of events by showing the pair walking hand in hand through the city centre towards Victoria Square.

But the detective responded that the footage showed the girl running away from the defendant on their way back.

He added: “There is usually a very strong public feeling about this type of predatory sexual offending.

“If information regarding this case made its way into the public domain it may cause public outcry.”

Refusing bail and remanding Donald in custody until April 28, District Judge Rosalie Prytherch ruled: “I am concerned there is a risk of re-offending.”

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The Towie star is taking part in the second All Stars version of the Ant and Dec ITV programme

I’m A Celebrity South Africa’s Gemma Collins has said that ‘it’s redemption’ as she returns to the jungle looking to do better on the ITV reality show than last time out.

The All Stars version of the ITV series kicked off on Monday night (April 6), with a host of former campmates taking on creepy crawlies once again. Ant and Dec are guiding them through even more challenges in another country.

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Gemma, who famously quit I’m A Celebrity after 72 hours in 2014, will be seen in the pre-recorded series alongside the likes of Olympian Sir Mo Farah, former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt, champion boxer David Haye and Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas.

Also taking part is football manager Harry Redknapp, Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard, Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, comedian Seann Walsh, pop star Sinitta, Red Dwarf star Craig Charles and ex-footballer Jimmy Bullard.

Revealed as the first late entrants alongside Craig, Gemma has revealed that she’s determined for viewers to see a different side of her. Additionally, she’s confident she won’t quit.

“Going on All Stars is a real moment for me in my career – it’s redemption. To be able to do this again is the greatest honour ever. I am going to be the best campmate and get those stars. None of us will be starving under my watch,” she told ITV>

Gemma continued: “My soul told me it was right for me. I’ve never been to South Africa before. I think that is why they made a show on Essex people, because none of us have really left Essex! The fact I am now here is amazing.”

According to Gemma, she will be walking into the South African jungle as ‘Gemma Collins’ and not ‘The GC’. This is an attempt to move away from the preconceived image some may have of her.

She explained: “I am dreading the whole lot. I don’t think anyone goes into the jungle going ‘woohoo’. It’s not normal to be faced with animals, but I am going in as Gemma Collins. Gemma Collins is a self-made woman.

“I have been to hell and back to get to where I am today. I am just looking forward to proving to people I can do it… There is no way I am going to be leaving after 72 hours.

“I am in it to win it. I am going through to the end. Last time, there were no highlights for me. But I wasn’t the strong, assertive woman I am today and I’ve got a totally different mindset.”

Gemma went on to admit that her quitting that while the series left a ‘shadow hanging over her’, she is determined to use All Stars as a ‘real redemption moment’.

However, she did note that it’s been embarrassing having to bump into Ant and Dec at ITV parties, knowing she quit so early on the first time around.

“I am so excited to see Ant & Dec again. It has been embarrassing whenever I have been to ITV parties knowing their first thought might be, ‘oh no, there is that girl who left the jungle’. They are fabulous. I want to show them what I am made of and get that new-found respect,” she said.