Gemma Collins will speak about her ongoing struggle with her weight during an episode of Piers Morgan's Lufe Stories. 

In the episode, which airs tonight, Collins admits she always turned to food in times of crisis. 

The Only Way Is Essex star described it as a "form of self-harm."

She said: “I think I have always turned to food in times of crisis.

“I mean, any occasion – if I’m happy I eat, if I’m sad I eat.

"But I think it’s about dealing with your emotions and trying to find a way of dealing with them in a healthy way and not turning to something that can harm you.

"Because it is like a form of self-harm.”

She also spoke about her experiences of bullying and verbal abuse and said she was once on the receiving end of a tirade from a member of the public in front of her mother.

Collins told Morgan how she was bullied at school and has continued to experience abuse in her adult life.

Crying as she watched a clip of people talking about the abuse she has received, the 40-year-old said: “That’s hard to watch. You don’t forget it but that’s the downside to fame. I’m a lot more comfortable now in my own skin.”

Echo: Collins told Morgan how she was bullied at school and has continued to experience abuse in her adult life. Picture: ITVCollins told Morgan how she was bullied at school and has continued to experience abuse in her adult life. Picture: ITV

Discussing how some people will even say cruel things to her face, she said: “It was so embarrassing once, I was taking my mum for lunch, a van pulled up and they started abusing me. It wasn’t for me – I felt so hurt that that happened in front of my mum.”

Collins said they called her “fat” and added: “Look at you, stuffing your face.”

“Again, I’m used to it, but I didn’t want my mum to hear it,” she said, revealing that her mother had been “very upset” by the incident.

Piers Morgan’s Life Stories is on Thursday at 9pm on ITV.