Gemma Collins has shared the good news that her father Alan Collins will be home from hospital in time for her 40th birthday.

The 73-year-old has been in hospital battling coronavirus since Christmas and at one point was fighting for his life.

Last week the GC revealed that his condition was improving and now she has said that he will be discharged before she celebrates her milestone birthday on Sunday.

"It has been a terrible start to the New Year because my dad has sadly been fighting for his life with COVID," she said on the latest episode of her podcast, The Gemma Collins Podcast. "However, he comes home this week, so it is the best birthday in lockdown that I could ever wish for.

"So yes I can't have the party that was planned - I had arranged so many singers to come to a venue that I had booked last year - but it's not gonna happen.

"But you know what? It doesn't matter because my dad has survived COVID-19 and they actually called him The Miracle Man in the hospital, because my dad is 73 and he's a very fit man, however COVID really ripped through my family.

"It was just so heartbreaking to see my dad fighting for his life. But we won't dwell on that because it's my birthday.

"I have ordered myself a huge cake and the fact that I can sit with my dad on my birthday and eat cake is absolutely priceless."

Collins - star of ITVBe's Diva Forever - added that she has ordered three large French fancies for the occasion.