Gemma Atkinson looks incredible in glam shoot as she reveals cruel bully told her she was ‘fat’ at just 15 years old
GEMMA Atkinson has revealed she was called 'fat' by a cruel troll recently as old episodes of Hollyoaks were back on screen.
Gemma, 35, opened up on how she deals with nasty comments during an interview with Women's Health.
Asked how she reacts to trolls, Gemma revealed one Hollyoaks fan messaged her after watching a throwback episode - and they were far from complimentary.
"For Hollyoaks turning 25 years old, they’ve been re-running some episodes, and they’ve had a week of my episodes, and people have actually DM’d me," the mum-of-one explained.
"A guy DM’d me, and he said, 'wow, I never realised at the time, but you were fat in Hollyoaks weren’t you?'
"I went back to him and I said, 'well, I was 15, so I was chubbier than what I am now, but please, please don’t let your daughter think that that’s your idea of fat… she will have problems for the rest of her life if that’s the case'."
Commenting on her weight gain during her Strictly Come Dancing appearance in 2017, she said: "I think I’m the only contestant who gained weight during Strictly and I always say that openly because the training is hard.
"It’s intense, but because I train differently anyway, my body kind of went backwards a bit and the main reason was because I let me diet slip massively on Strictly."
Gemma continued: "We trained above the Cadbury’s shop, so I had a Toblerone nearly every day, fast food, anything that was just quick and easy really…I think I put on about six or seven pounds by the end of it."
Gemma is in a relationship with Strictly pro Gorka Márquez, and the couple welcomed their daughter Mia one year ago.
Revealing she was very aware of what she ate during her pregnancy, Gemma said: "Growing and birthing a baby is the biggest workout you will ever do in your life.
"From the minute you find out you’re pregnant, I believe it’s a workout because you’re constantly trying to monitor what you eat and what you do, especially for the first three months I was a nervous wreck."
The former soap star went on to reveal that her young daughter is already a fan of the gym: "She loves the gym…she learned to walk in there to be honest.
"She does watch us (herself and Gorka) train, and again it’s great, I’m very mindful, I love the fact that she’s growing up watching me in the gym.
"I don’t want her to grow up watching me moaning about what I’m eating or covering up a bit of cellulite or moaning about my weight and stuff."
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Gemma added on her concerns for her baby girl: "One of my biggest fears for Mia growing up, especially in the environment we’re all in now, with the Instagrams and the filters and the quick fix, these jabs and pills and stuff.
"It terrifies me that she’ll come to me and say, 'Mum, I’ve read that if I do this injection it will make me thin'."
Gemma's honest interview comes after she teased her return to Hollyoaks 15 years after leaving the Channel 4 soap.
Listen to the full Gemma Atkinson interview in the Women’s Health , available now.