Gemma Atkinson was seen sharing her fears to both Gorka Marquez and her fans about their daughter as they signed her up for her first dance classes. The Hits Radio host took to her Instagram Story with a video of her speaking to the camera about Mia as Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka stood giving himself a massage alongside her.
Gemma, who is currently pregnant with the couple's second baby, which they have previously confirmed is a boy and due sometime this summer, told fans they had signed three-year-old Mia up for street and hip hop dance classes. But the 38-year-old shared her concerns about their little girl taking ballet classes at Gorka's request.
"I’ve just booked Mia’s first dance classes. She’s going to start on Saturday. I booked street and hip hop, but Gorka says she needs ballet," Bury-born Gemma said to he camera. Her pro dancer fiance, 32, then cut in saying: “She has to do both, it’s the base," as he stood in their Greater Manchester home.
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"If she does ballet it will be better for the rest. It will teach her the posture, how to use her feet." Gemma went on to explain how her concerns for her daughter come from her own bad experience of attending ballet classes when she was younger.
Explaining what happened, Gemma said: “You can correct me if I'm wrong... I am wrong but it's my fear... Because I am so big built, my fear is that if she does ballet she's going to get the mentality of needing to be small." But Gorka told her: "No, look at Karen [Hauer - his Strictly co-star] and how strong and powerful she looks. She went to ballet school. That's where she came from...."
Typing along the video, Gemma wrote: "Can anyone understand my concerns? Maybe I'm overreacting but I was told I was 'too big for ballet' and I don't want me to be told similar. The stress is real."
Explaining further in the video, the mum-of-two-to-be said: "It's just because I was told I was too big for ballet and I don’t want Mia to be told that. Because I’m so big built, my fear is she’ll get the mentality of wanting to be small.
"I was like thunder thighs, this and that, you’re too big for it and you’re too cumbersome. I am big boned.. but yeah, I remember being told 'You won’t be a ballet dancer, you’re too big for ballet hun.'"
Revealing how the comments affected her, the former Hollyoaks and Emmerdale star continued: "I remember thinking ‘Oh my God’. I didn’t do anything about it. I thought I’m not going to lose weight or starve myself or anything, I just won’t do ballet, so I took up Thai boxing.
"But the thought of anyone telling her [Mia] she’s too big for that, too small for that, too skinny for that, too muscular – no! I’m going to say you’re practically perfect in every way, like Mary Poppins."
In a follow-up video posted to her Instagram stories later, Gemma said she had been overwhelmed by people who had been told the same as kids. "As if so many of you have said the same thing about being too big for ballet, but also how amazing it was for the children," she said in the clip.
"Like Gorka said, if Karen did ballet - and Karen is badass." She typed alongside the video: "Funny what sticks with us. Words are very powerful hence why how we speak to ourselves is SO important." Then posting a group photo of the Strictly pros, Gemma added: "And I mean let’s be honest, with Mia surrounded by this lot for 6 months of the year, she can’t go wrong."
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