“It’s all about health”
A new approach has changed Gemma Atkinson’s physique and her attitude to life – and she couldn’t be happier. By Gabrielle Fagan
Actress, model and former Hollyoaks and Emmerdale star Gemma Atkinson is celebrating a personal transformation right now.
It’s not just that the 34-year-old is glowing with happiness – she’s been dating Spanish-born Gorka Marquez, 28, for a year, after they met on Strictly Come Dancing 2017 – she’s also supertoned and looking more glamorous than ever. This has all come about since embracing a new health and exercise regime which she says has not only changed her body but also her outlook on life.
Atkinson reveals her fitness journey – and her relationship ups and downs – in her new book, The Ultimate Body Plan, which “focuses on feeling great, not on vanity”.
“In the last couple of years, my life has changed beyond recognition and so has my body. I train, watch what I eat and take looking after myself seriously,” declares Atkinson. “It’s made me realise that [in the past] I’d put my body through so much with fad diets and gruelling gym punishments, and I’d put myself through so much mentally trying to get over men and dealing with guilt and regrets, that I’d really neglected my body.
“Challenging my body and understanding how it works has boosted my confidence and selfesteem no end. It’s also changed my perspective on everything: Ambition, family, friends… even love. It sounds a bit dramatic. That’s because it is.”
It’s been quite a journey for Atkinson, who first came to our screens aged 15, playing sulky schoolgirl Lisa Hunter in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, and starred in its spinoff shows for a number of years. She appeared in BBC’S Casualty as Tamzin Bayle from 2011-14, and then played Carly Hope in Emmerdale for two years, until she quit in 2017.
“At 34, I feel more confident about how I look now than I did when I was in my 20s. At school, because I was a runner and had big legs and my nickname was ‘thunder thighs’, and for the last 20 years since I’ve worked in television, I’ve had my appearance scrutinised, analysed, criticised, complimented or casually dismissed in the press or online.
“Nowadays, I’m fine with it. I’ve learnt to appreciate my body for what it is and not punish it with faddy diets, quick-fixes or to try to bully it into
“As long as you’re healthy and take good care of yourself, size isn’t important”
being smaller. I’ve learnt that I want to be fit not to look a certain way, but to feel a certain way.”
What does Gorka mean to you?
“I feel like I’m with my best friend. He’s loving, very caring and also very funny. He’s the first boyfriend I’ve had who truly makes me feel attractive in just a T-shirt. I’ve got the odd stretch mark and some cellulite on the top of my legs, like every woman, and he tells me every single day how beautiful he thinks I am. The first thing he says in the morning is, ‘Good morning, I love you. How did you sleep?’
“I’m with Gorka because I want to be, not because I need to be. It’s the same for him. He doesn’t need me for anything other than a lovely relationship. It was perfect timing, because I was ready to meet someone. It was a slow-burn because although we met in the August on Strictly, we didn’t get together until the following February. We wanted to see if we were still compatible after the razzmatazz of the show ended.
“We were friends first, and because you have mutual respect and understanding, you feel you don’t want to hurt your best friend, so it makes you feel even closer.”
Is Gorka romantic?
“Yes he is, bless him. He was working in Spain recently for 19 days, and after 11 days away he surprised me by flying back for seven hours so we could spend a little time together. He will leave loving Post-it notes on the bathroom mirror. He’s lived on his own since he was 17, so he’s really tidy, an amazing cook and we share everything.
“We train together, which I also think has helped us to get so close. There’s something incredibly supportive about someone having your back in that way, being on the same journey, wanting you to succeed and being proud of you. At the moment, I’m trying to learn Spanish, so I can talk to his family, who don’t speak English.”
What’s your diet like?
“I’m primarily vegetarian and eat chicken or fish around three times a week, and try to avoid processed foods. Basically, I just aim to eat as naturally and healthily as possible but it’s all about moderation, so if I want a pizza or chips for tea, I’ll go for it. I feel strong isn’t a size, sexy isn’t a size – it’s all about health.
“I fit around a 10-12 and I’m healthy, relaxed and happy at that size. As long as you’re healthy, fit and take good care of yourself, your skin’s nice and you’ve got loads of energy, then size isn’t important.”
Tell us about your fitness routine
“Weights are a major part of my workout. There’s a ridiculous myth that women shouldn’t do weights because it makes them bulky and they’ll look masculine – that’s so wrong.
“Me and my trainer, Steve Chambers, work on different parts of my body each day and that keeps it interesting. We also do HIIT.”
How else do you look after your wellbeing?
“I’m naturally a positive person. I’m so fortunate in having an amazing, supportive family and my friends are mainly people I’ve known since I was five years old. We rally round each if times are tough and talk through things, which is great.
“Working out for me is therapeutic, as my head can go somewhere else. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m exercising. I love walking, especially with my dogs, Norman and Ollie.”