Former Emmerdale star and Hollyoaks favourite Gemma Atkinson got involved romantically with Cristiano Ronaldo when he first played for Manchester United in 2007. And now the model has revealed what it was like spending time with one of the most famous footballers in the world.
Apparently, despite being one of the highest-paid sports people the world has ever seen, Gemma says some of her dates with Ronaldo were pretty ordinary and laid back. In a radio interview on Manchester's Key 103, she spoke of a time when the newly coupled up pair just hung out at her house drinking tea and watching Only Fools And Horses.
"Genuinely!" said Gemma, "I don’t know if he’s into it now but he seemed to enjoy it.” Atkinson said that couldn't be tempted by the huge fees she was being offered for telling all about her time with Ronaldo,. She said: "When we did split up, I got offered so much money to speak about him. And I didn’t want that."
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The Mirror reports that Gemma was engaged to former Brentford and Everton footballer Marcus Bent in 2008 and as well as saying "yes" to Britain's Got Talent star Liam Richards in 2013. She finally found true love on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 where she met dancer Gorka Marquez. The pair are engaged and their daughter, Mia, was born in July 2019.
Gorka got down on one knee on Valentine’s Day last year, but the love-struck couple had to postpone the happy day due to strict Covid rules in Spain, where Gorka’s family live. Gemma told the Mirror at the time that despite knowing some people were having it really tough, lockdown with Gorka was "actually really lovely".
She continued: "Gorka works away a lot so it was good to have that time together. Obviously it was horrendous for some people, but we just said, 'Look, it is what it is. We're not going to get this time back. Let's embrace it."
She added: "Normally with us juggling our work one of us will look after Mia and one of us will walk the dogs for example, but during lockdown we could do things as a family. We had a lovely weather too which was great. Before lockdown we always had to juggle things. We won't have that back so we tried to make the most of it."
While Gorka is busy with Strictly from July to Christmas each year, Gemma presents the Drivetime show on Hits Radio in Manchester, calling the job a "win-win" because it is “on her doorstep” - and not very far from her home in the city.
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