Gemma Atkinson praised for powerful body image message to daughter
People are flooding to social media in support of Gemma Atkinson for her honest post about body image.
The former Hollyoaks actor and glamour model - more recently known for becoming a radio presenter, DJ and fitness influencer - has been subject to horrible online trolling regarding her appearance.
Having recently been called 'tubby' by 'p****s on Twitter,' the 38-year-old - who is currently pregnant with her second child with Strictly Come Dancing partner Gorka Márquez - has since taken to Instagram in an 'inspirational' post about body image.
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Atkinson shared a video of herself and her daughter on the beach on holiday, admitting she had reservations about stripping down into her swimwear.
In the caption of the post, Atkinson explained: "I bought some beach trousers to wear on this holiday, because even though I'm aware why it’s happening and how clever my body is, I’ve never been as swollen, bloated, uncomfortable in every day tasks and had as much cellulite in my life.
"My boobs alone are three cup sizes up! 2nd pregnancy, almost four years older and with a little boy this time it’s been a lot harder on my body. (I know how we feel about our bodies is relevant to the individual and it’s just how I currently feel in MY body)."
However, the mum revealed when she got to the beach on the first day of the trip and looked at her daughter playing, she 'suddenly felt relaxed'.
"It dawned on me if I kept them on that she’d ask why I’m in trousers and I thought about the negative effect It could have on her down the line me saying 'because mummy’s legs & bum are a lot bigger than usual'.
"I don’t ever want her to feel like she should cover herself, especially on the beach! So the pants came in handy to wipe up my non alcoholic cocktail but other than that, they haven’t been needed!" Atkinson continued.
Atkinson went on to note how she's worn her bikinis 'every day' and while the top of her thighs are 'chaffed like MF', she's had an 'absolute blast'.
She resolved: "[We've] made the most incredible memories as a family. I can’t believe next time we’ll have little man with us as a family of four. We’re so lucky & so blessed.
"REMEMBER! Loving your body only when it’s 'in shape' is like loving your pets only when they behave. Norm & ollie s**t on the kitchen floor occasionally but I love them none the less."
Social media users have flooded to Gemma's post in appreciation of her honesty and body positive message.
One Instagram user wrote: "Thank you so much for writing this. Currently pregnant with baby number two, and four years on since my first pregnancy too. I resonate with absolutely everything. You look great."
Another said: "I’m overweight and my daughter does scuba diving, she was desperate for me to learn!!!! But I never did because of the fear of being seen in a wet suit!!!!
"One day I decided to just go for it and it’s the best thing I ever did !!!!! Being under the sea with my daughter is the best experience ever x."
A third resolved: "I think this is one of my fave Instagram posts ever. Your narrative is properly honest & the dog-s**tting-on-floor metaphor is the best, I'm defo using that!
"More than one thing can be true at the same time, and we can feel differently about our bodies day to day, hour to hour. So it can be a miracle, and it can also feel s**t.
"We can be pure feminists, and also want to feel nice. It's such a complicated relationship, the one with our body, especially when we are mums, and you've summed it up & done a lot for representation by being straight & down to earth. Have a fab holiday x."
Topics: Celebrity, Health, Instagram, Mental Health, Parenting, Social media, Strictly Come Dancing
Poppy Bilderbeck