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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

Pregnant Gemma Atkinson pleads 'give me strength' over backlash after showing emotional addition to unborn son's nursery

Gemma Atkinson had jokingly pleaded 'give me strength' as she replied to a negative comment she received after giving fans a glimpse into her daughter and unborn son's new rooms. The Hits Radio announced back in January that she and her fiance Gorka Marquez are expecting their second child together.

Gemma, 38, has since been keeping her fans updated on her pregnancy with her usual humour and honesty. Last month, she shared how she and Gorka were planning a change to their Greater Manchester abode ahead of their son's arrival. Talking to the camera in one of their empty bedrooms, she said in a video on her Instagram Story: "Big day today... Mia's moving into her big bedroom."

She then explained: "Well, she's not moving into it today but we're decorating it today because I want to get her into her big room before little man comes. Obviously, he'll be in our room for a little bit but then he'll go in her room and I don't want her to think she's been turfed out."

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Gemma then revealed how she reached out to a businesswoman on Instagram who paints murals meaning Mia will have her own spectacular display in her grown-up bedroom. And on Wednesday (April 12), the former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star showed off the finished results after jetting back from a sunshine break.

"The rooms are finished!" Gemma typed in a post on her Instagram Story. "Mia's 'big girl' room is done and little man's nursery is painted. Just need to get final bits of furniture down from the loft. We're reusing Mia's old cot and drawers," she added.

Then, filming inside Mia's room, she showed off the mural which featured a sign which read: "Mia's Magic Fairy Forest," before she showed intricate drawings of a fairy and unicorn after explaining how the three-year-old requested the design.

Mia's room has become the toddler's very own 'Fairy Forest' (Gemma Atkinson Instagram)

A rainbow also flew across the wall while in the middle, the talented painted had drawn three-year-old Mia's face onto a fairy's body, sporting a blue dress and with long blonde hair tied by a pink scrunchie. "It's lovely," Gemma is heard saying over the video. "So nice," she added.

She then moved onto the nursery where she gave fans a look at what will be her son's room. "So I guess he has no choice but to love animals too," she typed alongside a crying laughing and heart emojis as she showed how the pale blue walls had been adorned with various animals resting among clouds.

But there was one special addition to the mural - Gemma's dogs Norman and Ollie. The pet pooches had been painted on the wall on one of the clouds. "For little man I wanted animals on the wall, obvs, but look at the best bit..." the mum-of-two-to-be was heard saying over the clip.

The family's dogs Norman and Ollie feature in the nursery (Gemma Atkinson Instagram)

However, returning to Instagram on Thursday morning (April 13) Gemma exposed one of the messages she had received as she issued a response. It read: "Not saying this in a judgy way because I think it's absolutely beautiful and I'm sure you've chosen something you know she will love...

"But it really plays into society's gender stereotypes for girls, doesn't it? Pink, fairies, rainbows, pretty things... And blue for a boy." Quick to respond, Gemma said: "I've had a few of these msgs and I find it really baffling.

"We didn't choose Mia's room. She did. She told the painter all [of] her favourite colours & [the] characters she wanted. I designed the nursery with animals which I love & blue is my favourite colours. Always has been because it reminds me of the ocean."

Gemma responded to the messages (Gemma Atkinson Instagram)

The Bury-born star went on to say: "I've actually never been into pink. It doesn't mean I'm going against a stereotype or I want to be a boy or that I'm anti 'girl colours'. It simply means that my favourite colour is blue and not pink." Gemma then ended her post by writing: "Jesus Christ give me strength today," adding a string of crying laughing emojis.

She then posted a video of two of her daughter's scooters, one of which was pink and the other blue. "I don't know what to do now... Oh cr*p. Should I say you can't go on this one, this one's for your brother only and this is for you?" she said with laughter in her voice.

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