Gemma Collins and her mom break down in tears

Gemma Collins‘ ‘schizophrenic’ grandmother’s tragic life was uncovered as she appeared on an emotional episode of Who Do You Think You Are? on Thursday.

The former TOWIE star, 43, traced the story of her mother Joan’s biological mother who was forced to give her up to a foster family.

Joan had lived most of her life thinking that her mother – also called Joan – had abandoned her. 

But Gemma and the team on the show discovered she may have been forced to give up her daughter amid misdiagnosed mental health problems.

Gemma’s grandmother was in and out of psychiatric hospitals from 13 years old and was eventually diagnosed as a chronic schizophrenic – which has now been disputed.

An expert then said that when she got pregnant as a teenager out of wed lock she could have been told to give up Joan and was forced to limit her contact with her child due to her ‘mental health issues’.

Joan broke down as she spoke about feeling abandoned and unloved as a child as she said: ‘You’re always left wondering. My foster family was my family. I went into foster care a two weeks old.’

As Joan and Gemma read her foster statement they both broke down in tears as they said: ‘This is a lot. It’s a huge mix of emotions.’

Joan herself then told how she was sent to a children’s home at age 13 for playing truant and cried again as she told how she was bullied there.

In tears she said: ‘I went in with my suitcase, it brings it all back and the other kids started taking all my clothes off me. It felt like a prison to me. I went back home after that.’

Of her biological mother Joan added: ‘She did come and meet me my real mother once. We had a cup of tea and then she said goodbye. I only saw her three times.’

Viewers penned on X amid the emotional scenes: ‘Not knowing a family history must be so hard bless her. #WDYTYA.’,

‘That’s so sad #wdytya.’,

‘God, poor Gemma’s mom #wdytya.’,

At the start of the episode Gemma said: ‘My mum was fostered. Why was she left at the hospital? Why did they not try and come back for her? She never talks about it. I just think it’s too painful for her to go there.’

The clip ended with Gemma saying: ‘It will be nice to know where my mum is from. And just put all the pieces together.’

The BBC hit is a genealogy series in which well-known people trace their family tree.

The programme has been airing since 2004, and series 21 kicked off in August with actress Vicky McClure.

Each episode of Who Do You Think You Are? centres on one British celebrity.

Across its two-decade run, Who Do You Think You Are? has traced the family history of Adil Ray, Kate Winslet, Jeremy Clarkson, Barbara Windsor, Stephen Fry, J. K. Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe, and many more.

Gemma has already shared her delight at the possibility of being related to serial killer Jack The Ripper.

Jack, who has never been identified, is Britain’s most notorious serial killer – murdering five women and terrorising London in 1888, but was never caught. 

And Gemma believes she has discovered the identity of Jack the Ripper and is convinced she is related to him. 

She was convinced of the link on Who Do You Think You Are? when she discovered that she has ancestors who lived on Dorset Street in East London – where Jack left some of his victims’ mutilated corpses.