GEMMA COLLINS has no misconceptions that most of the country expect her to be the – in her words – “fat joke” on next year’s Dancing On Ice.

After all, this is the famous diva who calls herself The GC, quit I’m A Celebrity after just three days and then became internationally famous after falling through a trapdoor on stage at last year’s BBC Teen Awards.

But there’s a new Gemma Collins this Christmas, which even means she won’t be over-indulging on mince pies and turkey roast tomorrow.

At 37 she is ready to show the vicious trolls she can transform into an ice dancer by putting in hours of training a day, banning takeaways, shedding the pounds and insuring her new body for £2million.

In her first interview ahead of the show, Gemma says: “How can I enjoy all the food and booze this Christmas when I know I’ve got to step out and perform on ice and prove to the world that I can do this?

“I know this sounds really bizarre, but I’m not really bothered about Christmas this year because I’ve got such a big challenge in front of me.

“Everyone thinks I’m the fat joke on the show but whatever’s going to happen in my life, I can do this.”

As if to reassure herself, she looks me in the eyes and repeats even more forcefully: “I can do it. And I’m going to prove every f***er out there wrong. People will be eating their words. That’s how I feel.”

Having known Gemma since the moment she emerged on the ITV reality show The Only Way Is Essex in 2011, I immediately sense a new determination.

For one, she’s on time when we meet at the rink in Romford, Essex, where she has been dedicated to learning how to become an ice skater with her pro partner Matt Evers.

“Let me show you something, Dan,” Gemma says, whipping off her jacket and top to show off a distinctly more toned figure as she struts about in tights and a sports bra.

“There’s still a little bit of excess fat there,” she says while grabbing some loose skin on her stomach, “but I am so much more toned.”

The change is striking and the fact she’s dropped a dress size is down to training daily for three months straight. She says: “I’ve gone from doing no exercise to exercising two hours a day. When you feel better you don’t want to eat s***.

“I’ve cut down on a few takeaways because I know that if I have one late at night then I have to come here in the morning, then, you know, I’m not getting around that ice.”

Gemma herself has noticed huge changes over the past 12 weeks as she has become more athletic, and word is that she is now one of the surprise favourites on the show, where she will compete against former Westlife singer Brian McFadden, ex-Strictly pro James Jordan and EastEnders actor Richard Blackwood among others.

At the rink she says: “When I first came in here I’d do like one scooter push and be out of breath. Now I can just go round and round.

“And it’s little things, like I can move up and down stairs a lot easier now.

“When I first started, I couldn’t even cross my legs over. I was like, ‘Oh no, my legs are too big,’ but now they cross over fine.

“I think people will be impressed with what I can do.”

Size 20 Gemma was also conscious of the practicalities for dance partner Matt, who wants to be able to lift her during a routine.

She laughs wryly then recalls: “One of the first things I said was, ‘Oh my God, Matt, how are you going to lift me?’ But it’s hysterical, he actually can lift me, we have done a lift. I’ve lifted him as well.

“I am going to lift Matt in one routine and he is definitely going to lift me.”

Gemma is relaxed about the possibility of coming a cropper on the ice — and with good reason.

She reveals: “I’m not worried about injuries. I’m insured, actually, for a couple of million, so if I do have an accident, it sort of does me a favour, if you know what I mean.

“But I don’t want to.”

When it was revealed that Gemma was taking part, there were thousands of abusive messages from trolls predicting she would never be able to do such a physically demanding show.

She says: “I rang my agent and said, ‘Everyone thinks I’m going to fail, shall I just give up now?’ It does get to you, what people say, and I did have that moment.

“But if anything, it has spurred us on more.”

The amount of abuse that Gemma has to put up with on a day-to-day basis is shameful.

She is a great modern entertainer, who has put every aspect of her life on the line, including vulnerabilities about her weight.

Last month she received massive public support when a video went viral of her being verbally abused by a group of men in a car. They yelled that she was a “fat c***” and “f***ing pig” as she enjoyed lunch at a pavement cafe with her mum Joan Collins (not THAT one), who has also appeared on Towie. Initially Gemma deflects the incident with humour, saying: “I wouldn’t mind, but I was only having a prawn salad!”

However I can tell she has been left wounded by these types of despicable incidences.

She concedes: “What was so upsetting for me that day, I hadn’t seen Mum for about two weeks. She hadn’t been very well.

“Then it started and I just saw my mum’s face and I was like, ‘How awful’.

“But in today’s society there’s a lot of people out there that are just wired up the wrong way and their energy is just all so wrong.

“It did upset me, not for me, but for my mum. I’m hardened to it now, whatever people say about me.

“At the end of the day I’ve gone on to be successful and I don’t see myself going anywhere yet.

“I’m not going to waste my time or energy on people like that. Karma will deal with them.”

Gemma is spending Christmas with her long-term Towie boyfriend James “Arg” Argent, but their relationship has been plagued by difficulties this year as he re-entered rehab for ongoing drug and alchohol addiction issues.

But Gemma says: “It’s turned a corner. Obviously he’s in a much better place now. He did relapse in the summer. But he’s four months clean, touch wood, and he is doing really well.”

Does she see a future with Arg that could include marriage and kids? She answers honestly, saying: “James constantly needs to keep doing what he’s doing and staying well, which he’s doing and he’s doing really well at it.

“So if he carries on, then yeah, I would see a future.”

But first she’s got to impress DOI judges Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who she insists “have got a huge respect for me because they know how hard I’m working”.

Could she see herself replicating their success on the ice?

“Well, why not?” she answers sincerely, even though she has no plans to compete in the Winter

Olympics. “I’m not in this competition to turn up, I’m here to take over.

“Who would have thought that I’d suddenly get this competitive!”

But she adds: “I thought it was going to be all s***s and giggles. It’s bloody hard work.

“People will see I’ve fallen hundreds of times — and I’ve got straight back up and done it again.”