Gemma Atkinson hits back after being ‘attacked’ by a grieving fan on Mother’s Day and says ‘it’s not my fault’

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Gemma Atkinson responded to a critical message from a fan who was grieving on Mother’s Day, after she shared details about her unexpected weekend.

During the event, a woman confronted the TV presenter after she publicly thanked her mother, Sandra, for her consistent support.

Gemma shared on her ‘Lost In Translation’ podcast that a fan sent her a frustrated message over the weekend, upset about something related to her fiancé, Gorka Marquez, who is a professional dancer on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

She explained that she posted online about how lovely Mother’s Day is, and a woman messaged her, upset that her own mother had passed away ten years prior. The woman was quite harsh, saying Mother’s Day was difficult for her and essentially criticizing the original poster’s positive message.

Gemma continued: ‘Now, my dad passed away, you know, obviously everyone knows I don’t have a dad.

I’m lucky to have a great stepdad, and I wouldn’t want to upset anyone who still has their father with them on Father’s Day. It’s important to be sensitive to those who are fortunate enough to have their dad around.

Gemma’s father David Atkinson, died from a heart attack aged 52 when Gemma was just 17.

Previously, Gemma said her dad’s death was ‘a huge shock’ as he was ‘fit and healthy and strong’.

Okay, so Gemma was talking about Father’s Day, and it totally got to me. She still celebrates it, even though her dad’s gone. She goes to the cemetery and leaves flowers – it’s just so sweet! She gets that Mother’s Day is hard if you’ve lost your mom, but she feels the same way about Father’s Day when you’ve lost your dad. It’s just… really touching, honestly. I’m obsessed with how real she is!

‘Don’t attack people though. She went in on me. It’s not my fault.’

Gorka agreed: ‘It’s not your fault.’

Honestly, this whole situation with the direct message is still bothering me. I’ve been trying to respond, but it’s tough because, while I get everyone grieves in their own way, this person really came after me simply for saying Mother’s Day is a nice occasion. It feels pretty unfair, and I’m still processing it.

‘I thought I’m gonna reply, and then I thought, no, because she’s clearly still grieving.

‘But imagine if I, every Father’s Day, kicked off at anyone who’s lucky enough to have their dad.

‘Be p****d off at the world and the circumstance, don’t come in at me.

As a lifestyle expert, I can tell you one thing I’ve seen time and time again: we often don’t fully appreciate our parents until they’re gone. It’s a tough truth, but it’s so common. If you’re fortunate enough to still have both your mum and dad in your life, please know how incredibly lucky you are. It’s something I encourage everyone to truly cherish – you don’t realize what you have until it’s a memory.

‘If they still ring you, if you still speak to him, it’s incredibly lucky.’

Gemma and Gorka posted the video on their podcast’s Instagram page, and many of their followers expressed similar opinions to the one shared in the video.

They shared that their mother recently passed away seven weeks ago, but they plan to honor her memory by sending a Mother’s Day card to celebrate her life and will continue to do so every year.

I’m so sorry to hear about the awful things you’re going through, Gemma. Losing my own parents was incredibly difficult, but I still find ways to remember and celebrate their lives. It’s tough, but life continues, and we hold onto those happy memories.

‘Totally right @glouiseatkinson – you’re a fab mum too! Ignore people like this; 

My mum passed away unexpectedly when I was 21, and she was only 49. It was incredibly difficult, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Each year, I honor her memory by buying flowers or a plant, and surprisingly, it brings me joy to see others celebrating and cherishing their own mothers.

I was really surprised to hear about Gorka’s next move! After being let go during the recent changes to the Strictly Come Dancing cast, he’s already announced an exciting new project – and he’s teaming up with one of the show’s choreographers to make it happen. It’s great to see him bouncing back so quickly!

The 35-year-old Spanish dancer started on the show in 2016, and that’s where he met his fiancée, Gemma. They have two children together: a six-year-old daughter named Mia and a two-year-old son named Thiago.

Reports suggest that Gorka Márquez is among a group of professional dancers – including Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Karen Hauer – who are being let go from the show.

Despite recently being cut from the show, Gorka shared on Instagram that he’ll be teaching a dance workshop later this year alongside Strictly Come Dancing choreographer Arduino Bertoncello.

Speaking to fans, Gorka shared that the workshop would be in May as he asked them to sign up. 

He started by wishing everyone a happy Tuesday and hoping their day was going well. He mentioned that after the Arduino workshops they held a few weeks ago, many attendees asked if they would repeat them. He confirmed that they will be doing it again.

We’re planning another dance workshop around mid-May. Please click the link below to join our group and tell us what types of dance you’re interested in learning, and what you’d prefer not to learn. Your feedback will help us plan the workshop!

If you can share your thoughts on that, it will really help us understand how to best serve everyone. We’d be delighted to have you participate. You have about two months to consider it, as we’re currently in March and the event is roughly two months away.

‘So I’ll see you there. Arduino will be there, and we will have the best time. Happy Tuesday.’

Gorka, a professional dancer on the show, has been a part of it for ten years. He’s made it to the final three times, dancing with Alexandra Burke, Maisie Smith, and Helen Skelton.

He didn’t have a dance partner last year because he was busy filming the Spanish version of the show and also participated in the group dances.

I can’t believe it! They’re saying the producers want a completely new direction for Strictly! Tess and Claudia leaving feels like a nightmare, but apparently, they’re already planning to announce new hosts soon. It’s going to be so different… I’m honestly a little scared, but also, a tiny bit excited to see what they do. It just won’t be the same without Tess and Claudia, though. Not the same at all!

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2026-03-17 19:05