Gemma Collins has pulled out of the UK tour of musical Chicago due to a pre-existing knee injury.
Collins – who refers to herself as “The GC” – had been due to star as Mama Morton in the UK and Ireland tour of the production, taking over the role from singer Sheila Ferguson.
Disaster struck however when a nasty knee injury from her appearance during 2019’s Dancing On Ice recently flared up and forced her to quit the show.
The Standard contacted a representative for Gemma Collins who confirmed her departure from Chicago due to injury.
A spokesperson for Chicago also confirmed the news, saying: “Gemma Collins’ management have informed the producers of Chicago she will no longer be appearing in the UK Tour of the show due to a knee injury.
“The Producers of Chicago wish Gemma all the best for the future.”
Meanwhile, an insider told The Sun that the 41-year-old is “inconsolable” at having to leave and has been in “floods of tears”.
Collins would have joined the tour at the Sunderland Empire from Tuesday May 31 before taking in Cardiff New Theatre, Blackpool Winter Gardens, Sheffield Lyceum, Norwich Theatre Royal and New Theatre, Oxford.
On Tuesday, the Essex native shared clips on Instagram Stories of herself receiving treatment for the swelling.
“Early morning session for my knee,” she wrote as she captured a Cryostimulation device working on her leg. “I can’t describe the pain you guys.”
In further clips, she called the swelling “next level’ and revealed her “leg has ballooned with my knee”.
Collins’ casting was announced in March to much fan-fare with black and white promo images showing two men behind her holding up newspapers with the headlines “Gemma Rocks Chicago” and “The Only Way Is Chicago,” in a nod to her reality TV star beginnings.
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