Soap fame was only the beginning for Gemma Atkinson. From emotionally charged television roles to the unforgiving glare of reality competitions, she built a career that kept changing shape while audiences watched every move. But beyond the dance floor, a relationship, motherhood, and a passion for wellbeing, far from her earliest scripts, would open a deeply personal new chap… Continues…
Born in Bury, Greater Manchester, in 1984, Gemma Atkinson became a familiar face playing Lisa Hunter in Hollyoaks from 2001 to 2005. The character’s difficult storylines helped establish her acting career, and she later reprised the role in spin-offs. Appearances in Casualty and Waterloo Road broadened her television résumé, while I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! introduced another side of her. In 2017, she reached the Strictly Come Dancing final.
Strictly also brought professional dancer Gorka Márquez into her life. The couple welcomed their first child in 2019, and Atkinson has since shared candid reflections on parenting and staying active after childbirth. Alongside family life, she developed a radio career with Hits Radio and a fitness platform spanning social media and publishing. Across those different roles, her public story has become about more than television recognition: it also reflects the everyday work of balancing ambition, wellbeing, and family.
