Gemma Atkinson
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Gemma Louise Atkinson (born 16 November 1984) is an English influencer, radio presenter, and former actress and glamour model. She played Lisa Hunter in ''
Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. From 2005 to 2023, episodes h ...
'' (2001–2005, 2022) and in three spin-off series, '' Hollyoaks: After Hours'' (2004), '' Hollyoaks: Let Loose'' (2005) and '' Hollyoaks: In the City'' (2006), Tamzin Bayle in '' Casualty'' (2011–2012, 2014) and Carly Hope in ''
Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...
'' (2015–2017). She currently presents the drive time slot across the
Hits Radio Network Hits Radio is a network of 26 contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. The network launched in 2018 with the rebranding of Bauer's Manchester station Key 103 and its merger with The Hi ...
. In November 2021, it was announced that Atkinson is set to reprise her role as Lisa Hunter in ''Hollyoaks''.


Early life and education

Atkinson was born in
Bury, Greater Manchester Bury (, ) is a market town on the River Irwell in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. which had a population of 81,101 in 2021 while the wider borough had a population of 193,846. The town was originally part of the ...
. Her father David was Scottish and from
Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...
. She took her
GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...
at Castlebrook High School, Bury.


Career


Acting


Television

Atkinson rose to fame playing Lisa Hunter in the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
soap opera ''
Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. From 2005 to 2023, episodes h ...
''. Atkinson and Marcus Patric (who played the character Ben Davies) subsequently appeared in a spin-off series called '' Hollyoaks: Let Loose'' for E4, in which their characters started a new life together in
Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
. This was followed by '' Hollyoaks: In the City'', also screened on E4. Other television roles included appearing as herself in the pilot for '' Plus One'', part of the pilot series '' Comedy Showcase'' in October 2009. In 2009, she appeared as Ria Crossley, the girlfriend of a drug dealer in ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...
''. Atkinson also appeared in the British
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
''
Boogie Woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, but already developed in African-American communities since the 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually ex ...
'', which premiered at the
Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...
in June 2009. In May 2011, Atkinson began filming for her part in the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
medical drama '' Casualty''. She played the part of Tamzin, a paramedic; appearing onscreen from 13 August 2011, but had confirmed via Twitter that she would only appear for ten weeks (10 episodes). She left the show on 1 October 2011, after her sixth appearance but later returned to the show as Tamzin for the last time in 2014. In 2015, Atkinson began playing the role of Carly Hope in the ITV soap opera ''
Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...
''. Then in November 2021, it was announced that Atkinson will reprise her role as Lisa Hunter in ''Hollyoaks''.


Film

Atkinson appeared in the 2010
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
called '' 13Hrs'' in February 2009 and a UK gangster film called ''Baseline'' in March 2009. Atkinson played the role of Hannah in the 2011 romantic comedy film '' How to Stop Being a Loser''. The film also starred Richard E. Grant,
Jill Halfpenny Jill Halfpenny (born 15 July 1975) is an English actress who first garnered attention playing Nicola Dobson in the coming-of-age BBC drama series '' Byker Grove'' (1989–1992). She became more widely known for her roles as Rebecca Hopkins on ...
and
Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress, model and media personality. She rose to prominence after being selected as the February 1990 ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Month. She went on to make regular appearan ...
. She played the role of Harriett in the 2012 film '' Airborne''. In 2013, she starred in a remake of ''
Night of the Living Dead ''Night of the Living Dead'' is a 1968 American Independent film, independent zombie horror film directed, photographed, and edited by George A. Romero, written by Romero and John A. Russo, John Russo, produced by Russell Streiner and Karl Har ...
'', released in 3D. Also in 2013, she appeared in '' Devil's Pass''. Atkinson played the role of Rhea Wagner in the 2016
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
film ''
Fever Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...
''. In 2017, Atkinson starred in the horror film ''Cain Hill'', alongside Emmerdale co-star
Michael Parr Michael Parr (born 6 August 1986) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the part of Ross Barton in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', and originally Billy Parker in the Channel 4 soap opera, ''Hollyoaks''. Early life and educati ...
and '' Kingsman 2'' actor Tony Cook.


Stage

Atkinson appeared in ''
Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...
'' at the
Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring Theatre (structure), theatre that plays host to touring Musical theatre, musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed buil ...
in December 2008. She took the title role alongside John Thomson who played
Captain Hook Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter and Wendy, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain of the br ...
. Atkinson appeared in the West End production of Tim Firth's '' Calendar Girls'' at the Noël Coward Theatre, from 28 July to 17 October 2009 where she played the character of Elaine. Atkinson also went on tour with '' Calendar Girls'', she played Celia aka Miss September in the production. The January to April 2010 tour of ''Calendar Girls'' also starred
Lynda Bellingham Lynda Bellingham ( ; 31 May 194819 October 2014) was an English actress, broadcaster and author. She acted in television series such as ''All Creatures Great and Small (1978 TV series), All Creatures Great and Small'', ''Doctor Who'', ''Second Tho ...
, Judith Barker, Debbie Chazen, Letitia Dean and Jan Harvey. Atkinson played the lead female role, Belinda in
Neil LaBute Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, ''In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance Film Fest ...
's play '' This Is How It Goes'' at the
King's Head Theatre The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an off-West End venue in London. The original venue was the oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2024, the pub theatre, and the King's Head Theatre now operates from a purpose-b ...
in Islington, London from 7 September to 3 October 2010.


Reality television

Atkinson has appeared as a contestant on reality TV series such as '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'', '' Celebrity MasterChef'' and '' Soapstar Superstar''. In January 2007, Atkinson reached the last four stage of ITV's '' Soapstar Superstar''. Songs performed on ''Soapstar Superstar'': * Day 1: " Who Knew" (
Pink Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the Dianthus plumarius, pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, p ...
) * Day 2: " Fields of Gold" ( Sting) * Day 3: "
I Love Rock 'n' Roll "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker (musician), Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows (British band), Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ...
" ( Arrows/
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979 as a conjunction of lead musician, singer and songwriter Joan Jett and the backup band. It has undergone many lineup changes since its inception, w ...
) * Day 4: "
Love at First Sight Love at first sight is a personal experience and a common theme in creative works: a person or character feels an instant, extreme, and ultimately long-lasting romantic attraction for a stranger upon first seeing that stranger. It has been desc ...
" (
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
) * Day 5: " You're Still the One" (
Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( ; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time and the best-sel ...
) * Day 6: "
Brass in Pocket "Brass in Pocket", also known as "Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)", is a song by English rock band the Pretenders, released in 1979 as the third single from their self-titled debut album. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scot ...
" (
The Pretenders The Pretenders are a British rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (ba ...
);
Pink Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the Dianthus plumarius, pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, p ...
Medley: "
Just like a Pill "Just Like a Pill" is a song by American singer Pink. It was written by Pink and Dallas Austin and produced by Austin for the singer's second studio album, '' Missundaztood''. The lyrics of the song deal with getting out of painful relationships ...
"/"
Feel Good Time "Feel Good Time" is a song by American singer Pink featuring William Orbit. It was released on May 27, 2003, as the lead single from the soundtrack of the 2003 film '' Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle''. It was later included on the international ...
"/" Last to Know" In December 2006, she appeared in '' Celebrity Weakest Link'' with Marcus Patric. In 2007, she took part in the BBC's '' Celebrity MasterChef'' competition. In November 2007, she appeared in the seventh series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' in Australia. She finished in fifth place. In January 2008, Atkinson appeared on ''
Celebrity Mastermind ''Celebrity Mastermind'' is a celebrity version of ''Mastermind'', a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. ''Celebrity Mastermind'' began in 2002 as a one-off special hosted by Magnus Magnusson, the original host of the main ...
''. On 15/16 March 2008, Atkinson co-presented the Play.com Live gaming expo at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
with
Virgin Radio Virgin Radio is a branding of radio stations broadcast in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. As of April 2024, there were over 40 stations globally. The stations ...
presenter
Iain Lee Iain Lee (born Iain Lee Rougvie; 9 June 1973) is an English former broadcaster, writer, and television presenter and stand-up comedian who hosts the phone-in talk show ''The Late Night Alternative'' on "pay to view" Patreon. Lee's career began ...
. Atkinson and her family appeared on '' All Star Family Fortunes'' on 20 September 2008, competing against
Antony Cotton Antony Cotton (born Antony Dunn; 5 August 1975) is an English actor and comedian, known for portraying the role of Sean Tully in ''Coronation Street'', as well as portraying Alexander Perry in the original '' Queer as Folk'' series. In 2007, C ...
and his family. The Atkinsons did not win the show; however, Gemma was given £1,000 for her chosen charity. On 12 November 2008, she appeared in
Jack Osbourne Jack Joseph Osbourne (born 8 November 1985) is a British-American media personality. He is the son of heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne. He starred on MTV's reality series '' The Osbournes'' (2002–2005), along with his ...
's
ITV2 ITV2 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the fiv ...
show '' Adrenaline Junkie'' filmed in South Africa. She did a
bungee jump Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...
, a
skydive Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes. For hu ...
, a glider flight and swam with
great white shark The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocea ...
s. In 2013, she appeared in an episode of '' I Love My Country'', on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
. She took part in a celebrity edition of '' The Chase'' in December 2015. After the team beat the chaser, Shaun Wallace, Atkinson took home £25,125 for her chosen charity, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary. In Autumn 2017 Atkinson competed in the fifteenth series of BBC's ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
'', where she was partnered with professional dancer
Aljaž Škorjanec Aljaž Škorjanec (born 19 February 1990) is a Slovenian dancer and choreographer, who is known for appearing on the BBC series ''Strictly Come Dancing'' as a professional dancer from 2013 to 2021, and from 2024 onwards. Career Aljaž Škorja ...
. The couple reached the final of the competition on 16 December, where they finished either second, third or fourth (results not disclosed via the BBC), losing out to Joe McFadden.


Glamour modelling

In early 2006, Atkinson underwent
breast enlargement Breast enlargement is the enlargement of the breasts. It may occur naturally as in mammoplasia or may occur artificially through active intervention. Many women regard their breasts, which are female secondary sex characteristics, as important to t ...
surgery, which took her
bra size Bra size (also known as brassiere measurement or bust size) indicates the size characteristics of a bra to accurately fit the breasts. While there are a number of bra sizing systems in use around the world, the bra sizes usually consist of a numb ...
to a 34E. She said in an interview with ''
Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment *Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim ...
'' magazine that she lost weight due to a fitness regimen and her breasts had declined in size and that the surgery had restored their original size and shape. Since launching her parallel career as a glamour model, Atkinson has appeared in provocative photoshoots wearing
lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...
and
swimwear A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types and styles may be worn ...
,for magazines such as ''
Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
'', '' FHM'', '' Loaded'', ''Maxim'', ''
Zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...
'' and ''
Nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed * Nut (food), a dry and edible fruit or seed, including but not limited to true nuts * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut, NUT or Nuts may also refer to: A ...
''. In October 2006, she appeared in three of these publications in a single month, becoming one of the most prolific celebrity glamour models in the UK. She has also released calendars yearly since 2006, with those for 2008 and 2009 shot in Thailand. Since 2006 she has appeared in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women list, debuting at number 32. Following her appearance on the cover of ''FHM'', she moved up to 23 in 2007, rising again to 18 in 2008 and falling to 81 in 2009. She ranked number 46 in
AskMen AskMen is a free online men's web portal, with international versions in Australia, Canada, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is owned by Ziff Davis and operates through the IGN Entertainment unit. History AskMen wa ...
.com's ''99 Sexiest Women of 2008''.


Promotional work

Atkinson has undertaken a wide range of promotional work; she was the female face of the 2007
British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...
and worked for the Orange promotion "On Yer Bike London" prior to the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
. She has also modelled for lingerie brands, including being the face of
La Senza La Senza Corporation is a Canadian fashion retailer that sells women's lingerie and intimate apparel. The La Senza brand is currently owned by Regent which operates and owns La Senza stores in Canada and the United States and uses a franchise mo ...
and Ultimo's D-G range. She opened Ultimo stores within
Debenhams Debenhams plc was a British department store chain that operated in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, as well as franchised locations across Europe and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and gr ...
branches in London, Belfast and Glasgow.


Other work

Atkinson has also played
Goldie Lookin Chain Goldie Lookin Chain are a Welsh comedy hip hop group from Newport, Wales, Newport, Wales. The group produces humorous, and often explicit songs that satirise hip hop music, hip hop, today's consumer society, the "chav" culture and life in Newpo ...
's love interest in the music video for the single "R'n'B" and featured on the cover of the CD single release. Atkinson made her debut video game appearance in '' Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3'' (2008) in the role of Lt. Eva McKenna, which she reprised in '' Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising'' (2009). She also took part in EA's "Be the One" event in
Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...
on 29 October 2008, which forms part of the
London Games Festival The London Games Festival is an annual video gaming festival for both consumers and trade specialists held annually in April. The Festival is part of Games London an initiative to boost investment and skills in the capital, delivered by Ukie and ...
. Also in 2013, Atkinson appeared in the video to
Rizzle Kicks Rizzle Kicks are a British hip-hop duo from Brighton, England, consisting of Jordan "Rizzle" Stephens (born 25 January 1992) and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule (born 1991). Their debut album, '' Stereo Typical'', was released in 2011. As o ...
's song "
Skip to the Good Bit "Skip to the Good Bit" is a song by English hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks. The song was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 25 October 2013 as the second single from their second studio album, ''Roaring 20s (album), Roaring 20s'' ( ...
". From 1 February 2017 to May 2018, she co-hosted the
Key 103 Hits Radio Manchester, formerly Key 103, is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Greater Manchester. As of September 2024, the station has a weekly ...
breakfast show with Mike Toolan. She presented the Hits Radio breakfast show alongside
Gethin Jones Gethin Clifford Jones (born 12 February 1978) is a Welsh television presenter. He was an active rugby union player while at Manchester Metropolitan University and, after graduation, he began his television career on Welsh language channel S4C a ...
and
Comedy Dave David Lloyd Vitty (born 24 April 1974) is a British radio presenter. He worked alongside Chris Moyles at BBC Radio 1, having originally been a broadcast assistant on Moyles' early morning show. He became the show's head writer and 'Director o ...
for the first year of
Hits Radio Hits Radio is a network of 26 contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. The network launched in 2018 with the rebranding of Bauer's Manchester station Key 103 and its merger with The Hi ...
's broadcasting, Atkinson now presents the drive time slot across the
Hits Radio Network Hits Radio is a network of 26 contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. The network launched in 2018 with the rebranding of Bauer's Manchester station Key 103 and its merger with The Hi ...
with Mike Toolan.


Charity work

In September 2007, Atkinson did a 5 kilometre (3 miles, 190 yards) charity run for breast cancer awareness. She embarked upon a walk along the
Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' long wall") is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against vario ...
in April 2008, as part of a charity event organised by
Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British and Australian singer and actress. With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John was one of the List of best-selling music artists#100 million to 119 million record ...
's breast cancer awareness charity. She was joined for her section of the walk by celebrities Marcus Patric and
Ant and Dec Ant & Dec are a British television presenting duo consisting of Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly from Newcastle upon Tyne. After meeting as child actors on CBBC's drama ''Byker Grove'', they performed together as pop musicians PJ & Duncan, ...
, among others. The walk was intended to symbolise the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery. Atkinson visited the Home and Garden Show at
Chester Racecourse Chester Racecourse, also known as the Roodee, is a racecourse located in Chester, England. The horse racing venue is officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the "oldest racecourse still in operation". Horse racing in Chester dates ...
on 5 June 2008 to unveil the room she designed with furniture store owner
Arighi Bianchi Arighi Bianchi is a furniture shop in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, founded in 1854 by Italian immigrants Antonio Arighi and Antonio Bianchi who originated from the village of Casnate on the shores of Lake Como. The shop is a Grade II* ...
which would be suitable for teenagers in conjunction with the
Teenage Cancer Trust Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...
charity. The room was created in association with
Teenage Cancer Trust Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...
(TCT), the Home and Garden Show's official charity. On 8 January 2009, Atkinson was at
Spinningfields Spinningfields is an area of Manchester in Greater Manchester, England. It developed in the 2000s between Deansgate and the River Irwell by Allied London Properties. The £1.5 billion project consists of 20 buildings, totalling approximately of ...
in Manchester helping to launch the Great Manchester Run, a run for charity that took place on 17 May 2009. At the launch, she was joined by singer
Russell Watson Russell Watson (born 24 November 1966) is an English crossover/popular singer, almost in the tenor range, who has released singles and albums of both quasi-operatic-style and pop songs. He began singing as a child, and became known after per ...
, and actors
Antony Cotton Antony Cotton (born Antony Dunn; 5 August 1975) is an English actor and comedian, known for portraying the role of Sean Tully in ''Coronation Street'', as well as portraying Alexander Perry in the original '' Queer as Folk'' series. In 2007, C ...
and
Britt Ekland Britt Ekland (born Britt-Marie Eklund; 6 October 1942) is a Swedish actress. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in ''The Double Man (1967 film), The Double Man'' (1967), ''The Night They ...
. Atkinson ran to raise funds for the New Children's Hospital appeal. She finished the 10 km run on 17 May 2009 with a time of 1 hour 6 minutes. In May 2010, Atkinson again took part in the Great Manchester Run, she was competing on behalf of Manchester's
Christie Hospital The Christie, formerly known as Christie Hospital and The Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute, is a specialist National Health Service, National Health Service (NHS) single site cancer centre in Manchester, United Kingdom. The hospital is ...
. She hoped to beat her time from the previous year's run of 1 hour 6 minutes. She ran a time of 57 minutes, beating her 2009 time by 9 minutes. Atkinson became the vice-patron of Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
in January 2016. She ran the Great Manchester Run for the charity in May 2016. In late 2016, Atkinson supported the #gotyourback message, a campaign to help military veterans seek help if they need it.


Personal life

Atkinson dated
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...
during his first stint at
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
in 2007 for four months before breaking up in October that year. Atkinson is engaged to Spanish ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
'' professional dancer
Gorka Márquez Gorka Márquez (; born 4 September 1990) is a Spanish professional dancer, best known for appearing on the British dance show ''Strictly Come Dancing''. Early life Márquez began dancing at the age of 12, and in 2010 he represented Spain at the ...
. On 1 February 2019, she announced on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
that they were expecting a baby. Atkinson gave birth to a baby girl, Mia on 4 July 2019. On 21 January 2023, Atkinson announced on Instagram that she was pregnant with her second child. On 19 July 2023, Atkinson announced she had given birth to her second child, a boy, Thiago.


Filmography


See also

*
List of glamour models A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...


References


External links

* *
Gemma Atkinson & Mike Toolan on Hits Radio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Gemma 1984 births Living people English television actresses English video game actresses English female models 21st-century English actresses British glamour models English soap opera actresses Actresses from Bury, Greater Manchester English film actresses English stage actresses English radio people Models from Greater Manchester