Gemma Atkinson: “I’m done with trying to look skinny – I love being strong!”
Fitness fanatic Gemma Atkinson reveals how she overcame her unhealthy past to get her dream body and her plans to start a family with Strictly boyfriend Gorka
She’s become a poster girl for fitness in recent years, after developing a passion for the gym. But despite an intense regime which sees her work out for an hour every day, Gemma Atkinson is refreshingly down-to-earth about her approach to body confidence.
The 34 year old – who became a household name starring in soaps like Hollyoaks, Casualty and Emmerdale – tells Closer, “I love being strong and lean and I’m the most body-confident I’ve ever felt but, like most women, I have days where I feel frumpy and would rather sit on the couch eating chocolate than train!
“I love a chippy tea, and me and Gorks [Gemma’s boyfriend, Strictly pro Gorka Marquez, 28] will share a pizza on a Sunday night. But I’ll restrict treats to just once a week, and only have a very small portion.”
LIFESTYLE OVERHAUL
By overhauling her diet and taking up weight training, Gemma – who now hosts her own radio show – has developed an athletic physique, losing 13lbs and five per cent of her body fat in just 12 weeks. And she admits she’s still reaping the rewards.
She explains, “I’ve fallen in love with taking care of myself, and being in the gym every day has given me much more confidence. Weight training has transformed everything for me – I sleep better, I have way more energy, I can tackle more during the day and I’m more assertive. I’m not relying on coffee for fuel, either.”
In the past year, the star – who has studied nutrition – has cut down on meat and alcohol, and only has fish twice a week, favouring vegetarian meals instead. Ten years ago, however, Gemma’s lifestyle couldn’t have been more different. The actress admits excessive partying and crash diets left her feeling “sluggish and exhausted”.
She recalls, “In my twenties, keeping fit wasn’t a priority. I never associated being constantly tired and getting skin breakouts with poor diet and no exercise. I’d think nothing of drinking with the girls before going out on Friday and Saturday nights, then having a Mcdonald’s the next day to make the killer hangover better. Now I couldn’t think of anything worse! I’ve cut down on drinking, and I only really go out once a month, because I hate feeling wiped out the next day.”
She adds, “I used to be guilty of just plodding along and not feeling great. I accepted I’d have a headache by 3pm, my skin would always be dry. It was only when I started eating proper meals and exercising that I felt so awake I didn’t need to lie-in any more, and I didn’t need to buy spot cream, because my skin had improved.”
And Gemma – who is 5ft 7 and fluctuates between 10½st and 11st – says she’s done with “trying to look skinny”, preferring to be athletic. The actress admits Gorka loves her curves, too, explaining, “I’ve done daft diets. I’d stop eating carbs before I went on holiday, because I thought it’d make me skinny, but I’d get horrendous headaches. If anyone told me to ditch carbs now, I’d punch them – they give you so much energy.”
ENGAGEMENT RUMOURS
She adds, “With Gorks being Spanish, he likes something to grab hold of. I don’t think he’d be happy if I got too skinny! It helps being with someone who understands that fitness is important, and can push me. Whenever I complain about cellulite, he’ll look at me and say, ‘It’s normal!’ Or, if I notice a stretchmark, he’ll kiss it and tell me it’s beautiful because it’s my body. I’m very lucky.”
The pair met during Strictly in 2017. Despite not being partnered together, they fell for each other after “hanging out behind the scenes”. Gemma admits her previous relationships made the headlines for the
wrong reasons. She explains, “I remember when I was with Marcus Bent [the former Premier League footballer Gemma dated for two years, before ending their engagement in 2008], there was an article that said I’d stolen him from his previous girlfriend, but the reality was so removed from that. It really stressed me out at the time, but my mum told me, ‘This won’t matter in five years, so why waste five minutes thinking about it?’ Now that’s my motto whenever I read something horrible.”
Gemma says she’s happier with Gorka, 28, than she’s ever been. But while engagement rumours have been swirling, she insists there are no wedding plans – though she sees kids in their future.
“We’re not getting married any time soon,” she admits. “Once you get past 30 and you don’t have the marriage, the house and the picket fence, people assume there’s something wrong. I would still absolutely love kids, but it’s all about timing!”