Gemma Collins reveals her father Alan has started to walk again after battling Covid

Gemma Collins has revealed her father Alan is starting to walk again as he continues to recover from COVID-19.

The former TOWIE star, 40, said her dad is ‘slowly and surely’ making progress after finally being able to leave hospital.

It comes after Gemma admitted that her dad’s recovery is ‘the biggest gift of all’ as she prepared to celebrate her 40th birthday, having revealed she barely slept while her father battled coronavirus. 

Speaking on her BBC podcast, Gemma said: ‘He is starting to walk again little by little,’ adding that her dad was ‘a very fit man’ before being struck by Covid.

She added: He is very active. He exercises for two hours every day, goes to work, walks the dog – you name it he does it.

‘So it was a real shock when he got Covid-19 and he couldn’t do any of those things anymore. Slowly and surely he is getting stronger every day.’

Gemma had previously gushed that having her father home was the ‘biggest gift of all’ after being inundated with presents to mark her 40th birthday. 

Gemma shared a glamorous throwback picture of herself at a photoshoot as she reflected on what an ‘incredible life’ life she’s had over 40 years. 

And as she thanked her pals for the piles of designer gifts that she’s had, she remarked that the best gift off all was the recovering health of her dad Allen.

She penned: ‘As I approach turning 39+1 tomorrow I am reflecting on what an incredible life I have had so far I will deliver my full speech tomorrow but I am overwhelmed with the troves of gifts arriving I’m just so excited to open them all!

 ‘I’ve seen Versace parcels Gucci parcels Chanel parcels so thank you I will find out who’s sent them tomorrow but the biggest gift of all is my dad who is recovering slowly and things are looking positive small steps but he’s getting stronger daily ! X.’

It comes after the reality star star recently admitted that she was so worried about her beloved father Alan that she struggled to relax at night, despite her gruelling schedule.

She said during an Instagram Live interview with Sassy Shop Wax on Friday: ‘My dad was really unwell – you can see how tired I am. I literally haven’t slept. Because he was in hospital I was just so worried all the time.’

‘It’s only really now that I’m catching up on my sleep,’ she continued, before revealing: ‘He’s out of hospital, I don’t need to worry. It’s only really now he’s home I can start getting everything back together again.

‘I couldn’t ask for any more. I turn 40 on Sunday. Yes, I’ve got bags under my eyes but my dad is alive. I’m able to eat a piece of cake with him.’ 

TV personality Gemma had previously revealed her dad was able to return home from hospital after his COVID-19 battle – just in time to celebrate her 40th birthday.

Gemma announced the good news on a new episode of her BBC Sounds podcast on Wednesday, saying: ‘[My dad] comes home this week, so it is the best birthday in lockdown that I could ever wish for.’

The reality personality admitted it had been a ‘terrible start to the new year’ as her father fought for his life against COVID, but said he was called ‘The Miracle Man’ in hospital after defying the odds.

Gemma, who turns 40 on Sunday, said on the podcast titled The Big 4-0: ‘I honestly cannot believe I have been on this earth for 40 years.

‘I don’t look 40, I don’t feel 40, and I certainly don’t act like a 40-year-old. You’re hearing it here first, 40 is the new 20.’ 

Due to lockdown, Gemma has had to ditch plans for a ’48-hour’ party but said that spending it with her dad after his Covid battle will make it ‘priceless’. 

‘I have ordered a huge cake so the fact that I can sit eating cake with my dad on my birthday is absolutely priceless,’ she said.

‘My birthday wish this year is just to be so happy with what I’ve got. I don’t need anything, so this birthday I just want to wish for eternal happiness.

‘It won’t be the usual Gemma Collins style birthday that I had planned. I’d booked garage singers. I had the lot. I had every cuisine from around the world.

‘It was going to be a 48-hour party, I was even going to serve breakfast to guests.’

The TV star, also spoke being newly-single as she approached the milestone agae on her podcast, after her split from long-term on-off ex-boyfriend James Argent, 33.

She admitted some of the people she dated in life were ‘ghastly’ and advised listeners to choose a partner who is a positive influence in their life. 

‘Who you wanna end up [with], you want them to be a positive person in your life, someone who’s going to help you,’ she said. ‘Not someone who makes you feel like absolute dog poo.’ 

The reality star ended her relationship with on-off boyfriend Arg after he called her a ‘fat selfish b*****’ in an explosive row.

Following the break up, Gemma shared the text messages sent from Arg that led to the break-up on her Instagram Stories, in which he called her a ‘hippo’ and a ‘fat f**k’, after she suggested that he had bought another woman dinner and not her. 

The reality star said on the new podcast episode, titled Newly Single: ‘I think a lot of people have broke up in lockdown and people have realised things about their relationships they’re not happy with, or they’re happy with, and decided to go their own ways.’

However, she said she believes everything in life happens for a reason and said: ‘You meet people in life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.’ 

Businesswoman Gemma also encouraged her fellow single listeners to remain positive and ‘Prince Charming’ will come into their life soon. 

‘Things do get a little bit confusing when you’re newly single,’ she said. 

‘But just think, Prince Charming, whoever they are, or whoever this person it going to be will come into your life soon and everything is gonna be alright.

‘And you’re going to look back and think, ‘Why was I so bothered that I broke up with him?” 

In a previous podcast episode, Gemma shared her hopes of getting married and becoming a mother this year, six months after suffering a third miscarriage with Arg’s baby.

The TOWIE star said on the audio show, titled New Year Goals: ‘How will I feel about 2021 this time next year? Well, I hope I’m married, I hope I have a baby this year – I feel that it’s going to happen for me.’