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 became tearful on the show (Credit: BBC)
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’s mum Joan discovered more about her upbringing (Credit: BBC)
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