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Jon Macpherson & Jessica Sansome & Andrew Robinson

Strictly's Helen Skelton sends sweet gift to Gemma Atkinson's daughter Mia

Strictly Come Dancing star Helen Skelton has been given a big thank you after sending a sweet gift to Gemma Atkinson's daughter.

Helen, who recently left Leeds after splitting with Leeds Rhinos player Richie Myler, has been praised by Gemma who also revealed an issue with her fiancé Gorka Marquez's thighs.

Helen, who is Gorka's dance partner on Strictly, sent over a little gift for the couple's daughter, Mia, who was three in July. The former Hollyoaks star Gemma met her husband-to-be Gorka on the BBC dance show five years ago.

Read more: Emmerdale's Sam Dingle actor James Hooton's life from miracle baby to confusing accent

Gemma shared a selfie photograph with Mia on her Instagram Story. Mum and daughter are pictured wearing beanie hats and Mia is wearing a birthday badge bearing the number '3'.

Gemma wrote: "Still wears her July B'day badge. "Thank you for Mia's beanie @helenskelton". She also tagged the TV star's kids clothing company Toy Breaker.

Last month, Helen talked about the advice she had received from Hits Radio host Gemma, who made it to the final of the competition herself in 2017 with Gorka, the M.E.N reports.

During an appearance on ITV's Lorraine, stand-in host Christine Lampard asked Helen: "Has Gemma managed to pass on any words of advice to you?", to which she responded: "Yes she messages me and tells me 'just tell him this and tell him that', and I'm like 'thank God'. She's done the show so she gets it doesn't she?"

Gorka, 34, then added: "She knows how hard it is as a celebrity doing the show and also she knows how hard I can be sometimes and how difficult I can be being so picky with everything so she's a good person to get tips from."

Last weekend, following their performance on Saturday night, Gemma took to Instagram with a defiant message for her man's dance partner. It came after Gorka stepped in and asked: "Can I just say something?" while chatting to Strictly Come Dancing co-host Claudia Winkleman and waiting for the judges' scores.

As a panicked look stretched across Helen's face, the Spanish dancer continued to his celebrity dance partner: "I know you have been having a difficult time and I know you've been ...you may feel like you're not beautiful or good enough or anything, but if you don't believe in yourself, I believe in you. Everybody here believes in you."

While some Strictly viewers wondered if Gorka was 'annoyed' by the comments from the judges, others applauded him for standing up for Helen - including his fiancee Gemma. She tweeted after the show: "When your man stands up and says what everyone’s thinking…" alongside a GIF of an A-list crowd applauding. She also took to Instagram to share a snap of her TV screen with Helen and Gorka on it and wrote: "Absolutely!!!! What he said!!!"

But Gemma, 37, wasn't done there. "So proud!" she began in a fresh post alongside a backstage photo of her man and his new dance partner. After sharing how she coped in the ballroom. the former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star then concluded: "Show them all what you got Helen! When the going gets tough, you get tougher! You got this."

And while Helen and Gorka prepare for their next routine, Gemma has some errands to run as she revealed to her millions of followers that Gorka's thighs - yes thighs - have caused a problem. Speaking in a video posted to her Instagram Story on Saturday morning, Gemma shared how she was having to pick the dancer's suit up for the upcoming Pride of Britain awards.

"His trousers no longer fit his quads," she laughed. "His thouighs... his thighs have got too thick from the training he has been doing so [it's a] girls shopping day." She then laughed as she shared her daughter's horror at watching her get awards ready.

"I finally had my brows done. Had them threaded and my tash waxed and throughout it all, Mia was like this," she said before demonstrating a confused and slightly concerned look. "The woman said to her at the end, 'Do you want a go?' and she said, 'No, mummy let's go!'" She giggled: "She didn't like it!"

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