Gemma Atkinson and Strictly star Gorka Marquez have signed up for their own reality TV series, just as she prepares to give birth to their second child.
Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind the Lens is said to be an unfiltered look at what it’s like to work while having with a growing family.
They have daughter Mia, three, and actor and radio host Gemma, 38, said she is now “almost 38 weeks” into her second pregnancy.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror about the new series on UKTV channel W, Gemma said it would give a real insight into pre and post-pregnancy life.
She said: “The timing felt right. We’ve been together almost six years and we know a lot of people thought we wouldn’t last three months. We love showing the reality of our lives.”
The three-part series won’t quite be access all areas, with one thing strictly off limits.
Gemma said: “The crew won’t be in the delivery room. I can’t think of anything worse than a load of people watching me extract a human, and I think it might scare them!”
“But if my waters break while filming then it’ll be on camera. We’re going to film a lot on our phones in labour, as we did when Mia was born, so we’re going to add a few of those into the show. Apologies in advance if I swear, though. It’s highly likely I’ll be dropping a few F-bombs mid-contraction!”
Mia’s birth was quite traumatic as Gemma ended up needing an emergency C-section. Gemma hopes the show will raise awareness of VBAC – vaginal birth after caesarean – and give an honest look into a second pregnancy after a previous traumatic labour.
She said: “I’m really excited about giving birth, which is surprising given what happened last time. But this time it’s a whole different experience.
“The sickness was worse, my body changed quicker, I’ve had aches I didn’t have first time. So I guess when it comes to the birth it’ll be different too. A lot of people have asked what kind of birth I want and my answer is always, ‘a successful one’.”
Gemma and Gorka met on Strictly in 2017 but were not paired together, and Gemma reached the final with her pro partner, Aljaz Skorjanec.
Asked what type of life viewers will see, Gemma said: “We most definitely wouldn’t call ourselves the Cheshire Kardashians!
“Our show is more like a mixture of Phoenix Nights and Shameless – especially when you meet my family and friends.
“But there’s a little Spanish thrown into the mix too. The perfect combo if you ask us!”
- Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind the Lens will air on W and UKTV Play in the Summer.
