Bury-born star Gemma Atkinson has thanked staff in the maternity ward of the Royal Bolton Hospital after she welcomed her baby boy into the world.

The former Hollyoaks star welcomed her second child with her fiancé, Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka Marquez, and has thanked staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital for looking after them.

The 38-year-old announced the happy news that she had given birth to a baby boy on Instagram on Wednesday morning.

Gemma said: “A massive massive thank you to the maternity unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

“You are all angels.

“We honestly couldn’t have asked for better care from you all.

“Just as you were with Mia, your care and expertise was wonderful. Thank you. #nhsworkers”

The couple met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 when Atkinson was partnered with Aljaz Skorjanec and Marquez with Alexandra Burke.

They have a three-year-old daughter Mia and announced their latest pregnancy back in January when Gemma shared pictures of her baby bump.

During their daughter Mia’s birth, Atkinson needed an emergency C-section when her baby’s heart rate dropped suddenly and the actress suffered a haemorrhage after the birth, losing nearly a litre of blood.

She previously admitted the experience in 2019 left her having nightmares and was adamant she would not want another child.

However, last year, she said she finally felt ready to have a second baby after working through her initial fear.

Atkinson has appeared in a number of TV soaps and dramas including playing Lisa Hunter in Hollyoaks, Tamzin Bayle in Casualty and Carly Hope in Emmerdale.

She also presents a show on Hits Radio while her partner has been a professional dancer on Strictly since 2016.

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