Whether you love her or hate her, Gemma Collins is a British legend – a reality TV star and plus-sized beauty queen renowned for her role on The Only Way Is Essex (the UK’s Jersey Shore equivalent, for our American readers), and famed for the hilarious moment she plummeted straight through the stage floor at the BBC Teen Awards.
But when Gemma made a celebrity guest appearance competing on the music show All Together Now, the TOWIE star shocked the nation when she revealed her hidden musical talent. The moment has since gone internet-viral, racking up more than 1.4 million YouTube views to date. Music Man readers can watch the magic unfold in the video below…
Any of our readers unacquainted with UK TV can get a prime example of Gemma’s iconic personality just as this clip begins; Gemma’s pre-audition interview gives a vivid glimpse of the controversial celeb before she hits the All Together Now stage.
But, as Gemma struts out to reveal her hidden talent, the pressure is piled high as cameras reveal Spice Girl Geri Halliwell perched among All Together Now’s judges’ panel of 100 music experts.
Gemma doesn’t let the nerves ruin her performance as she takes on one of the 20th century’s most monolithic hits, “Big Spender”; a song capturing the very essence of glitz and glam, power and pizzazz that first made Gemma Collins a star.
With unstoppable confidence, Gemma belts out the hit as if singing was her main game, shocking both the judges and the nation as she reveals her jaw-dropping musical talent. She ditches her thick Essex accent to take on the hit like a true powerhouse vocalist, seeming an entire world away from the celebrity adored and despised by thousands across the UK.
As Geri Halliwell sings along from the panel, it’s clear that Gemma’s classy take is an instant hit with the judges. And when the stage lights change color halfway through the song, allowing judges to cast their votes and dance along, the numbers quickly soar up to the rafters, with Gemma stealing 88 out of 100 buzzer presses by the end of her show-stopping set.
Viewers simply couldn’t believe what they’d witnessed as they took to the YouTube comments section, with one stunned watcher writing, “Not a big fan of Gemma but wow she was hiding that voice,” another commenting, “Now this is what I call charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent,” and yet more envisioning the celeb taking a lead theatre role at London’s West End.
Even pop pro, Geri Halliwell was wowed by Gemma’s rendition as she congratulated the star just after her performance, “You are amazing! I’m so proud of you!”