Bury's Gemma Atkinson shares 'raw' look at life in new series

Gemma, who went to Castlebrook High School, Bury, gave birth last month at Royal Bolton Hospital and has documented the process of getting ready before their ‘little man’, Thiago Thomas Márquez, arrived.

The new series, Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind the Lens, will air next week, detailing how the busy couple juggles their family and work life and share their worries ahead of the new arrival.

Gemma and Gorka (Image: © UKTV)

Speaking on their decision to document the intimate time, the radio presenter said: “We want it to be as honest and raw as possible.

“There are no glam scenes, no hair and makeup or lighting or anything. Even the bits to camera us talking.”

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However, moments such as Gemma being in labour, the birth and the family meeting the baby for the first time will all be off camera.

Gemma at her baby shower (Image: UKTV)

She said: “We want those moments to just be for us because the filming is documenting the pregnancy, and then post pregnancy, getting back into a routine and normality.

“But I don't think anyone needs to see me on all fours screaming and yelling at Gorka!”

The show will also touch on the couple's fears after Gemma had an emergency C-section and post-partum haemorrhage with her first child.

Strictly Come Dancing professional, Gorka Márquez, said because he is ‘open and likes to talk’ he didn’t struggle to get over the shock but in the moment, it had been ‘traumatic’.

He said: “I didn't know what was going on. I remember when Gemma had to go for the C-section and they pressed the alarm, it felt like a pit stop in the Formula One you know, they were like, ‘Don’t panic, we’re just gonna press the alarm’.

Gorka and Mia at the gym (Image: © UKTV)

“And you’re like you ‘don’t tell me not to panic I’m going to panic now’.

“It was doctors and nurses rushing in from every side of the room, getting cables and drapes and everything. And they're like, ‘just step away, please step away’.

“I'm like, ‘what's going on?’ And then no one says anything.

“So, they say just stay here and ‘We're gonna try to save the baby and if everything goes fine, you will be able to come in’, and I'm like, ‘What do you mean if everything goes fine?’

“They put me in this little room and I was just there waiting with my scrubs on to see if I was able to come in or not to mind.

Gemma Atkinson and baby Thiago Thomas Márquez (Image: Guy Levy / UKTV)

Bolton hospital staff praised by Gemma Atkinson as she expects child

“They left me there alone in that little room just waiting like 10-15 minutes like what is going on. And then finally they tell you what’s happened so then you’re ok.”

Whilst pregnant with her second child, Gemma praised “incredible” staff at Bolton Hospital following one of her scans, saying she “can’t rave about that hospital enough."

She added: “They were incredible last time with me and Mia…God bless them, God bless the NHS”.

Gemma Gorka Speeding Up Labour with a Pineapple! (Image: © UKTV)

Filming for the new show began midway through Gemma’s pregnancy, pausing whilst she gave birth, and picked back up a week after the baby was born.

Speaking about the decision to film the ‘fly on the wall’ documentary, Gemma said: “It was the opportunity to do not only a reality show where we show bits of our life but to have that informative information in there as well.

“That’s what the channel was so great with, they said we want to interview doctors and midwives and pelvic floor specialists and get so much from Gorka about the dads’ role in pregnancy because it's very much focused on the mums.

Gemma and Physiotherapist, Deborah Schofield at pelvic floor assessment (Image: Guy Levy / UKTV)

“Obviously it should be as we’re carrying the baby, but at the same time it's daunting for dads and there isn’t much about their point of view. So, it ticked a lot of boxes for us as a family.

The new show, Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind the Lens is on W and UKTV Play and will air on Wednesday, August 30, at 8pm.

This will be a three-part series which can be watched on Sky channel 132/827, Virgin Media channels 125/211 and Freeview channel 25.Gemma and Gorka with children Mia and Thiago (Credit: Guy Levy / UKTV) (Image: Guy Levy / UKTV)