Gemma Collins reveals she wants to lose weight because she 'desperately' wants a baby

Gemma Collins has revealed the reason she wants to slim down is because she 'desperately' wants a baby, saying it would be hard to conceive the way she is now.

The former TOWIE star, who last year revealed the secret behind her two stone weight loss, has opened up about the real reason behind her wish to shed the pounds.

Speaking to The Sun, the reality TV celeb said she's the biggest she's ever been, which is not helping her fertility.

'Size 24 is the biggest I've ever been - the most famous I've ever been and the most popular,' she said.

'Next year I do want to knuckle down because it is going to be a struggle - I desperately want a baby and I would struggle to have the baby the way I am now.'

Gemma, who's made no secret of her wish to become a mum, was told last year on an episode of The Only Way is Essex that her egg count is low and so it could be hard for her to conceive.

'I had devastating news on TOWIE last year when they said my egg count was low. Well, having a low egg count and being overweight are no-gos.

'I'm not saying I'll get to a size ten but I do need to lose weight. For my health I wouldn't want to be bigger than I am now.'

It's not the first time Gemma has spoken out about her plans to start a family, and she was left feeling even broodier after meeting Ferne McCann's daughter Sunday.

'Oh my gosh she melted my heart. I looked into her eyes and she's just got Ferne's spirit. She's just like Ferne. Already you can see she's going to be a firecracker,' Gemma said after meeting her friend's baby.

The Essex-native added when speaking to The Sun: 'I still really, desperately want to be a mum.'

And while she still hopes to find a partner she can start a family with, Gemma has previously said she will do it alone if she has to.

'If I don't ever meet that man, I will go on to have a baby on my own because I do think that I've got a love to give to a child and I could give a child a lovely life',' she told the Loose Women panel in April.

'As much as I'd love the whole family unit sitting round the table, if it doesn't happen I will go ahead and do it on my own.'

Gemma, who also revealed she struggles to lose weight because of her polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), said she refuses to undergo surgery to achieve her goals.

'I refuse to have a gastric band, as easy as it would be. I have overcome so many things in my life and I will overcome my weight - but I need time and focus to do it.'