Gemma Collins may sue after fall at Radio 1 Teen Awards

Reality TV star, 35, left in 'total shock' and suffers bruising after humiliating tumble through trapdoor while stage to hand over Best TV Show prize

Reality television star Gemma Collins has said she is considering taking legal action over an incident at the Radio 1 Teen Awards in which she fell down a hole on stage.

The TV personality, best known as a cast member of The Only Way Is Essex (Towie), made headlines after tumbling into a gap that appeared as she was addressing the audience at Wembley Arena.

Although she escaped serious injury, Collins said she had been left with bruising and in pain and was in “total shock” after the fall.

Speaking to The Sun, the 35-year-old said: “I've got to consult a lawyer, yeah. The BBC, they've not been in touch with any compensation or anything - or even an apology.”

The personality said the incident amounted to “negligence”, adding: “I am overwhelmed by everyone's support but if we just take a minute and watch that clip back it could have been the end of The GC. I can't back down from it.”

A Radio 1 spokeswoman told the newspaper that the BBC was awaiting a full report from the award show's production company, Remedy.

“They have told us that Gemma did receive a full briefing before going on stage,” the spokeswoman said.

Collins had been on stage on Sunday to reveal Love Island as the winner of the Best TV Show prize when a hole opened beside her to lift contestants Amber Davies, Jamie Jewitt and Marcel Somerville up on a mechanical platform.

Gemma Collins (centre) is helped up by fellow hosts at the Radio One Teen Awards (Rex) (Rex Features)

She described how, after plummeting into the hole, people below the stage were screaming “get her up because her legs are going to get crushed” before she was hauled back up by the Love Island stars.

According to Collins she was not fully briefed by a stage manager on how the contestants would be arriving on the platform.

“Not at one point did (they) say, 'If you move to the right, you are going to fall'. ”(They) didn't even tell me they were coming up from below,“ she said.

The Towie star later made light of the incident with a tongue-in-cheek social media post showing her as the temporary face of a work-based accident helpline.

However she said she had been left in “throbbing” pain from the incident.

“It's the left side of my body that is coming out now with the bruising because I smacked down on to whatever material they had used for that raised platform,” she said.

PA