Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson calls out body shamers who said she looks ‘masculine’

The actress appeared on This Morning

Published 28th Jul 2016

Actress Gemma Atkinson has slammed body shamers who tell her she is not a ‘real woman’ for having muscles.

The 'Emmerdale' star appeared on 'This Morning' to vent her anger at the negative abuse she has received and admitted she has been told that she should have ‘curves not muscles’ to be classed a real woman.

Gemma Atkinson | © PA Images

In the interview she said “People say to me ‘real women have curves’. Well I don’t, I am straight up and down. It’s mostly men actually, they say women shouldn’t have muscles. But that’s like me saying to a man that unless they look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, they’re not a man, which isn’t right. I just ignore all the trolls.”

She also admitted she has ‘never been happier’ with her look and explained “My figure has become a lot more muscular over the years I have grown to love the way I look. I have increased my muscle mass and reduced my body fat so I look bigger now than before. I’m certainly heaver, but I love it, I feel strong.”

Gemma started her fitness plan after previously enjoying a stint as a glamour model before her acting career took off.

The 31-year-old often shares snaps of her incredible figure to her Instagram followers as well as posting hints and tips for healthy wellbeing.

Gemma has previously slammed trolls who slated her for being ‘too thin’ in a shot taken seven years ago.

Taking to Instagram last month, the actress penned an emotional message to fans saying the real reason she looked so slim in an image was because she’d just gone through a break-up and was seeing stories about herself in the media.

The heartfelt message read 'This shot was when I filmed Command and Conquer seven years ago. So many people comment on this and message me saying how much thinner I was then and how much better I looked.’

Gemma currently plays the role of Carly Hope in the popular ITV soap, having previously starred in 'Casualty' and 'Hollyoaks' in the past.