Gemma Collins' mother Joan thought her daughter was self-harming because she was 'copying someone off the TV'.
In Channel 4 documentary Gemma Collins : Self-Harm and Me, the reality TV star is seen having a very frank conversation with her mum about why she started cutting herself at the age of 13.
The mother and daughter duo are seen watching old footage of Gemma performing on stage as a child, but Gemma ends up in tears.
"It's hard to go back and discuss something that happened years ago. I obviously needed some sort of help or support at that time," Gemma began.
"Which you would have got if you'd have spoken about it. When you done it, we didn't want to bring attention to it," Joan replied.
"Yours and dad's approach was to, 'right let's never mention it'," Gemma then said referring to the time she cut herself in the kitchen in front of her parents.
"Life was busy and everything going on..." Joan continued, as Gemma interjected: "But what's more important: life being busy or your daughter cutting herself?"
"You seemed okay, you was always supported," Joan argued. "The problem is with you it wouldn't have been from home life, you had everything, you was happy.
"I don't even know why you did do it. I thought at the time was you just copying someone off the TV."
"No but mum that is really a silly thing to say, mum this is serious," Gemma answered back.
"But when you're young, you're impressed by what people do," Joan tried to explain as she admitted she tried to keep "everything happy" when Gemma was young.
Moments later, Joan started laughing as Gemma tried to explain to her that it was a "serious" situation.
"But you was okay Gemma?" she then asked as Gemma replied: "Well clearly I wasn't because I was self-harming.
"It's hard for you to deal with I know. It's alright, you can laugh because it's probably your way of coping with it and it's fine, I get it, I understand."
Joan later admitted that she doesn't "want to remember it" because it's in the past and Gemma was adamant that she doesn't blame her mum and dad at all.
"At the end of the day you can't hold it against your parents. Nobody's perfect and I don't have any grievances with my parents, I love them more than ever," Gemma explained.
"They brought me into this world and they only did their best," the former TOWIE star added as she looked forward to her future and starting a family of her own.
For support on dealing with self-harm see mind.org.uk/selfharm or call Mind's confidential Infoline on 0300 123 3393.
For further help or advice, please visit: https://www.channel4.com/4viewers/help-support
Gemma Collins: Self-Harm and Me is available to watch on All 4.
