'I WAS CONVINCED I WAS GOING TO DIE'

JEMMA SOLOMON REFLECTS ON DEALING WITH HER ANXIETY, THE POWER OF ORGANISATION AND LIFE AS STACEY'S LOOKALIKE SISTER

- LUCY ROBINSON

TV viewers may be familiar with her younger sister Stacey, but Jemma Solomon is a star in her own right. With hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, the 35-year-old from Essex is not only a social media sensation, but a self-taught success in the business world known for her bespoke label company, The Label Lady. With her debut book about to hit the shelves, she can now add author to that list of achievements, too.

And no one is more grateful for the growing recognition than Jemma. Starring in your first magazine photo shoot might seem like a daunting prospect for some people, but she takes it in her stride, joking with the glam squad about how she really should head off somewhere fancy once it's '"a wrap" to show off her stylish makeover. It's this down-to-earth manner and good humour that have no doubt contributed to her success.

Ahead of the publication of her book, Love, Lists And Labels, the mum-of-three says, "People always ask me how I do it. But, honestly, there's no right or wrong way. Two of my kids are at Stacey's, in the pool, and another is at a dress fitting for a skating competition. I'll go home, round them all up, make dinner and then head to The Label Lady HQ to work on some orders. You just do what you have to do."

While she makes it sound easy, Jemma admits to facing several challenges along the way, including having issues with anxiety, and says that mum guilt remains a daily battle.

Jemma, mother of Darcy, 10, Mila, eight, and five-year-old Hudson, was a paediatric nurse until 2019 when she stepped down from her full-time role to take part-time shifts so she and husband Lee could save on rising childcare costs.