Gemma Collins has claimed that her beloved cat Twinkle died last month due to coronavirus.

The feline was believed to be 22 at the time of her death, having being rescued by a 17-year-old GC in the '90s, but now it has been revealed that she was in fact 25 years old.

"I was so upset about it - I think she had corona," Collins told The Sun. "She'd never had breathing problems, and it was just so weird how she died.

"I took her to the vet and it was so awkward because of corona, I had to leave her on the boot of my car in a box and I just said to the vet please keep her alive. And then he called me two hours later and said he'd put her on a ventilator and she's died."

A recent report by the Blue Cross stated that there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be caught by cats, although owners are advised to wash their hands thoroughly after interacting with their pets.