Gemma Atkinson is pregnant with her second child with Gorka Marquez

Gemma Atkinson has revealed that she is pregnant with her second child with Gorka Marquez.

The actress, 38, and the Strictly Come Dancing professional, 32, took to social media to announce that they are expecting a baby boy, who is due later this year.

Gemma said their daughter Mia, three, is ‘thrilled’ about the news and joked that their son will be called ‘Barbie’ if it was down to their daughter. 

She wrote: ‘Impossible to hide my belly any longer. I’ve officially “popped”. Our baby boy will be joining our family later this year.

‘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 and professional dancer Gorka got engaged in February 2021, four years after meeting on Strictly Come Dancing. They welcomed their first child Mia on July 4, 2019.

Exciting: The actress, 38, and the Strictly Come Dancing professional (pictured in 2018), 32, shared that they are expecting a baby boy, who is due later this year

Last year, Gemma revealed she’s postponed her wedding to Gorka due to both of their busy schedules – after saying she’d rather try for another baby than plan lavish nuptials.

Back in May, she told how Gorka was busy for the rest of the year with the Strictly tour schedule which means they can’t fit it in this year.

She told New magazine: ‘Gorka is literally on tour all of this year. We’ve only got four days off together.

‘He’s got the two Strictly tours back to back, and then he’ll be going on Strictly in the autumn. We don’t even have a minute to sit down and begin making plans!’

Amusing: Gemma said their daughter Mia, three, is ‘thrilled’ about the news and joked that their son will be called ‘Barbie’ if it was down to their daughter

When they do finally make it down the aisle however, Gemma said they don’t intend go all out.

‘We’ve said we would prefer to try for another baby rather than have a big, fancy wedding,’ she said during a recent appearance on Vicky Pattison’s podcast The Secret To.

‘There are people who will spend £50k on a wedding and you think, ‘Oh my God’.

‘Twice we thought about going to the registry office and just doing it and then having a big party.’

Family: Gemma and professional dancer Gorka got engaged in February 2021, four years after meeting on Strictly Come Dancing. They welcomed their first child Mia on July 4, 2019

She added on the podcast that they would like to have a small wedding abroad but admitted she’s done ‘zero planning’ for it so far because of Covid.

Gemma also told how she hasn’t picked her bridesmaids yet or her wedding dress.

The mother-of-one, who is currently a presenter on Hits Radio, said her and Gorka have almost gone to the registry office twice now and ‘just done it’ – but added that her family would be upset if they did that.

Elsewhere last year, Gemma also spoke out about her experience of post-traumatic stress disorder following the birth of her daughter Mia.

Plans: Last year, Gemma revealed she’s postponed her wedding to Gorka (pictured in March 2019) due to both of their busy schedules – after saying she’d rather try for another baby

Speaking in a film for Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4, the Hollyoaks star reflected on her experiences of childbirth, admitting she blamed herself for ‘failing’.

Gemma needed to have an emergency c-section when Mia’s heart rate dropped suddenly during labour. She suffered a haemorrhage after the birth, losing nearly a litre of blood.

Gemma describes Mia as ‘the best thing that’s ever happened to me’ and after her birth, shared her experience on social media to share her experience.

Speaking on Channel 4, she said: ‘All these things were going through my mind, what did I do that caused all that to happen? I was telling myself for weeks and weeks I’d failed at childbirth.

Candid: Last year, Gemma (pictured with Gorka in September 2019) also spoke out about her experience of post-traumatic stress disorder following the birth of her daughter Mia

‘I was having horrible dreams that someone was going to take Mia from me. I remember my mum running in my bedroom and I was sat up screaming, sweating.’

Gemma said it her mother’s words which eventually changed her mindset, adding: ‘We went out with the pram and a lady said, “Oh I believe it [the birth] wasn’t a success was it, you know, what happened?”‘ 

‘My mum piped up and said, “It was a huge success, Mia’s there, Gemma’s here, total success.”‘ Something clicked in me then, my body had done me proud because it had recovered and got me through.’

Gemma also spoke about her plans to have another child, saying: ‘I’m at the stage where I want a sister or brother for Mia. The first few months of Mia’s life, I kept saying to my partner, Gorka, I’m not going through that again. I’ve now come of it and I feel I could.’

Hard times: Speaking for Steph’s Packed Lunch, the Hollyoaks star (pictured with Gorka in 2018) reflected on her experiences of childbirth, admitting she blamed herself for ‘failing’