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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Katie Fitzpatrick

Gemma Atkinson says she's 'too common'' to live in Alderley Edge as she sends hilarious welcome home message to Gorka

Gemma Atkinson gave a hilarious response to a fan as she shared a video welcoming home her man Gorka Marquez. Former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks actor Gemma, who is expecting her second child with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Gorka, raised laughs on her Instagram.

"After two weeks Gorks is home today!" she celebrated. Down-to-earth Gemma, 38, shared a throwback video of herself nimbly performing the splits in her seat at Hits Radio, where she presents the drivetime show with Mike Toolan, alongside a clip of herself with a jar of sweet treats balanced on her growing baby bump as she tucked in while watching TV.

"This is what he thinks he’s coming back to VS what he’s actually coming back to unlucky lad," she joked about Gorka, who has been touring with Strictly co-star Karen Hauer and will be hitting the road again next month on the Strictly Come Dancing - The Professionals tour.

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Gorka, 32, replied with a stream of crying laughing emojis, as did fellow Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice and Gemma's Hits Radio co-star and fellow former Strictly contestant Fleur East. Funkymonkeyzoe said: "I think this fits the ‘how it started - how it’s going’ trend."

And Gemma, from Bury, gave a comical response as she was asked by another follower mlvinaslife: "Have you moved to Alderley Gemma?? My friend said she saw Gorka in the village a few weeks ago!" She replied: "Gosh no, lovely area but a tad too posh for us. I’m too common for Alderley, I’d drive the wives insane." Homesmithshome told her: "Love how down to earth you are #mancs."

Gemma shared the 'reality' of Gorka's welcome home (Gemma Atkinson/Instagram)

Gemma and Gorka met when she took part in the 2017 series of Strictly, dancing her way to the finals partnered with Aljaž Škorjanec. In 2019 they welcomed their daughter Mia.

Yesterday (Friday April 21) the BBC confirmed its flagship dancing show will return this autumn and confirmed the 2023 line-up of presenters, judges and professional dancers. The 21st series will see Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman back in the ballroom overseeing proceedings.

Behind the judges' desk once again will be Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas. Confirmed to return are dancers Gorka, Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Pernice, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vita Coppola.

The line-up revealed that dancer Cameron Lombard has quit the show two years after joining the line-up and performing in the ensemble. The news came after reports Spanish-born Gorka was set to quit the show after missing out on the Glitterball with Helen Skelton back in December. Gorka, and his partner Gemma, denied the claims after fans felt the dancer and former Blue Peter host Helen were 'robbed'.

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