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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

Gemma Atkinson's brilliantly honest response as she shares due date and maternity leave plans

Gemma Atkinson has been as honest as ever as she was quizzed by her Hits Radio co-star on her wonderful baby news. The radio host announced on Saturday (January 21) that she was pregnant with her second child with fiance Gorka Marquez.

The couple, who met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 before officially confirming their relationship in early 2018, already share a daughter Mia, who was born in July 2019 but revealed they would be adding a baby boy to their family. Gemma, 38, and Gorka, 32, shared the news on Instagram alongside a string of adorable snaps.

The first image showed Bury-born Gemma gazing at her blossoming bump before she grinned for a selfie with her husband-to-be and their little girl as they wait to become a family-of-four - or six if you include Gemma's beloved dogs Ollie and Norman.

READ MORE: Helen Skelton says 'good luck' to Gorka Marquez after Gemma Atkinson's public video message

"Impossible to hide my belly any longer. I’ve officially 'popped'," she wrote in the caption to her millions of followers. "Our baby boy will be joining our family later this year." She added: "We feel so incredibly blessed and Grateful to be on this journey again. Mia is absolutely thrilled! Although we may need to do some negotiating on names, as so far she’s adamant he’s going to be called Barbie."

Gemma has since given her followers a couple of updates on her pregnancy so far, including having to go bra shopping. She told her followers that she had gone three sizes up and, light-heartedly poked fun at the bra she was wearing while appearing in a video on her Instagram Story and joked that it might as well be "basketballs in socks."

In another post Gemma could be seen playing with her adorable pet dogs and said about them sensing her pregnancy: "Dogs just know don't they?" while she also shared her daughter's brilliant and hilarious response to her mum being pregnant.

Since revealing her news to the world, Gemma ahs returned to Hits Radio alongside co-host Mike Toolan who was keen to discuss the announcement. "There's big news, Gem," he started as Gemma interjected: "I've got a big belly," before cheekily adding: "We kind of look the same now, Tools!"

Gemma is expecting her second child, a baby boy, this summer (Gemma Atkinson/Instagram)

As she burst out laughing, her fellow radio star replied: "This is supposed to be the really warm segment," before he told those listening that if they hadn't seen Gemma's socials over the weekend that she is expecting her second child. "We did know, in all fairness," Mike said before Gemma shared how her co-stars had 'sussed her out'.

The former Hollyoaks and Emmerdale star said: "You didn't know from me telling you. You both just kind of sussed me out." Sharing how, Mike added: "Well, you started snacking. We noticed you were piling the cakes in." Gemma went on: "I was having crisps and cakes..." before Mike said: "And you've given them all to us so we're now all in it together. We're all sharing the same size belly."

Gemma went on to confirm that she is due in the summer, adding: "Technically, your second can come quicker so I need to be prepared from early June really." But Mike was keen to know how long she'll still be at work for - and if she'll be coming back. "May/June but if you get on my nerves, I could leave, I guess, in two weeks if I wanted to."

She then laughed and said: "Can you imagine? 'I'm going on maternity leave six months in advance.'" Mike then said: "I would miss you and you are coming back on this show?" To which Gemma honestly replied: "Definitely! I will definitely, definitely, come back but I just have to, you know, get a human out of me first," as laughter rang out again.

Since the announcement Gemma has shared a few details about how she found out, saying she had to make "cringey" in order to make appointments for scans due to Gorka's working commitments and wanting to keep the new private until they felt safe and ready to announce. She explained that Hey Baby 4D pregnancy scanning clinic in Radcliffe helped by opening early for them after she said: "My fella is currently working on a massive show and we don't know if we're okay."

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