Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe's Parenting Hell - S10 EP12: Gemma Atkinson

Episode Date: April 4, 2025

Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) is the presenter and actress - Gemma Atkinson. Gemma's new children's book 'Let's Get Ready' is available now. Let’s Get Ready is a fun, yet practical take on getting ready in the morning. The book includes nifty hints and tips for children to use the toilet, wash their hands, brush their teeth, and get dressed! With tricks and songs (including the magical coat trick, the toothbrushing song, shoe stickers and the get-dressed-jiggle) Let’s Get Ready will help children (and their grownups) remember what to do. This picture book for 3+ offers children, parents and carers alike all of the practical advice required for school readiness. Parenting Hell is a Spotify Podcast, available everywhere every Tuesday and Friday. Please subscribe and leave a rating and review you filthy street dogs... xx If you want to get in touch with the show with any correspondence, kids intro audio clips, small business shout outs, and more.... here's how: EMAIL: [e-mail] Follow us on instagram: @parentinghell  Join the mailing list to be first to hear about live show dates and tickets, Parenting Hell merch and any other exciting news... MAILING LIST: parentinghellpodcast.mailchimpsites.com A 'Keep It Light Media' Production  Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, I'm Rob Beckett. And I'm Josh Willicombe. Welcome to Parenting Hell, the show in which Josh and I discuss what it's really like to be a parent, which I would say can be a little tricky. So to make ourselves and hopefully you feel better about the trials and tribulations of modern day parenting, each week we'll be chatting to a famous parent about how they're coping. Or hopefully how they're not coping. And we'll also be hearing from you, the listener,

with your tips, advice, and of course, tales of parenting woe. Because let's be honest, there are plenty of times when none of us know what we're doing. This episode is brought to you by FX's Dying for Sex on Disney+. Based on the podcast of the same name, Dying for Sex tells the story of Molly,

who is diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Determined to feel everything she can before she can't feel anything, she decides to leave her unhappy marriage to explore her sexuality, with some encouragement from her best friend, Nikki. FX's Dying for Sex, streaming April 4th, only on Disney+.

Sign up now at DisneyPlus.com. Hello, you're listening to Parent in Hell with... Jamie, can you say Rob Beckett? Rob Beckett. Can you say Josh Widdigan? Josh Widdigan. Yeah. Yeah.

I like that. Jamie from Catford. Is it Catford? We might move to Bickley. Much love Adam Molder. Is that what they said? Yeah. Look, anyone that's far as still Catford, there's that one pub you'll go to. Kids run around being feral. Soon as they get older, you get a little bit more space. You're already going to the Glades to have Wagamamas. Accept your fate. You're not cool anymore. Get to the Burbs and have a drive. Thank me later. He's 38 as well. Yeah, mate. He's got fucking Bromley written all over him.

Let me tell you something about Catford. All his mates in Stoke-Newerton going, what are you doing there? Fucking enjoy myself with a big garden, mate. What are you doing? Another shit pub garden? Suck my nuts. Come back to me when you move. You all right? Don't know. Don't know if I am. come back to her and you move. You're right. Don't know.

Don't know if I am. I don't know if I'm having a breakdown or this is just me. Yeah. I'm full of beans this week. We've all had that discussion about you actually. I don't know what I am anymore. Yeah. I'm just in flow right now.

You are, yeah. When does it become a manic episode? What it is, is a combination of good sleep. I've not been on tour this week, so I've been at home and I've been more chilled and gigging is so exhausting and like mentally draining. When you're at home and you're relaxing, it's like, oh my God, I've got this extra boost of energy. You've got a night yourself tonight. Night myself, just chilling. Just, you know, I might jump up at eight o'clock and do 20 minutes for Lou and Kate you know just get shake the rust off but apart from that I don't know about your personal life sorry what they're catford anymore message how do you want me to tell you a bit a little story about catford is there nothing more from the catford man no that's it okay do

you remember when you used to have to do office run throughs for panel shows? No. There we go. Yes. Yes, I did. I did loads when Mickey Flanagan couldn't be bothered to go in, I'd go in. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Play other games before he did it on telly for loads of money. Yeah, exactly. And you do it in like an office and there'd be 10 producers. Yeah. And I had to do one where it was like, God, how many times has this been pitched? The opposite of room 101 where people are talking about things they loved, right? Right. Okay. But they'd the previous person who'd done it had said Catford. Right. And it had gone down really well and they got loads of stuff based around Catford. Okay. So they said to me, can you just say Catford? And I'd never been to Catford. So because someone else had come and done Catford and it was really funny, they probably

had commissioners in so I was like, oh, let's do the Catford thing again, that's really good. Well, no, no, they've got stuff like, here's some funny pictures, like they got the business rule based around Catford. Oh, right, so that if that person came on for the provision, but then they should just get the Catford person back. The Catford person was a producer who'd in the previous office run through really smashed it.

Yeah, but you're always gonna smash it in front of your mates talking about Catford. I know, if you're from Catford. So here I am, sat in a room of TV people. Yeah. I think it was like a spaceship and you had to save the stuff. What do you wanna save? Catford, why? spaceship and you had to save the stuff. What do you want to save?

Catford, why? And suddenly I had to talk at length. That fundamentally doesn't work unless you're passionate. Can I tell you a secret, Rob? I have no feelings towards Catford. Apart from now, I slightly resent it for the afternoon. But that's the problem with an office. No audience is easier or more loving than an office worker

audience when you're the trap there five days a week and there's someone funny in the office. I just wander around and everyone will listen to you because they don't want to work. I just talk at them and try to make them laugh. It's pathetic. Is this when you worked in an office? Yeah, don't just pop in now, but when I worked in an office. Like David Brent.

Yeah, but that's what David Brent is. He's a frustrated performer. They've got a big fiberglass cat. I don't know. I fucking know it, Rob. She told me that. That was my briefing. But that's what David Brent is, though, isn't he? He's a frustrated performer. They've got a big fiberglass cat in Catford. I don't fucking know it, Rob. She told me that.

That was my briefing. I used to have a dog track. Yeah. Shut down now. Was there a cats and dogs stroke there? I did, probably. So that's my story about Catford. So these guys from Catford.

I like Catford. Got Gemma Atkinson today, Rob. Yes. Exciting. Very exciting. Can we get a couple of correspondents before we get Gemma on, Rob? Yes, absolutely.

We've got playground shaggers here, cooking with kids kids and we've got boomers. What do you want? I think we should just be starting to save the playground shaggers because I can feel another special coming along. Okay, let's save the shaggers quick boomer. Hello Rob, Josh and Michael. One of my first primary school memories is learning to write with my best friend. She is left-handed and the teacher sellotaped her pen to her right hand. That is fucking mental. To make her use that instead. This was back in 1990. What?

Different times. It was early, late, sorry. She's got Hayley here. That was Topnes, 1990, which is around with inflation, deflation, about 1963. Not from Topnes, but... No, that's Hayley from Gloucester, 471 months. That is madness, isn't it? I wouldn't have thought that was happening in the 90s.

Bang out of order. Yes, my daughter holds a pen a bit strange, but they're like, you got to hold it different. I'm like, she's got a fucking user pen after about a year six. Are they righties or lefties? Should know that shouldn't I? Right, a quick cookie with kids and then we'll get Gemma on. Yeah. Yeah. Hi, Rob and Josh and Michael Rachel here age 310 months. Love listening to the pod when I get ready for work at my sister's preschool.

Heard your call for stories about kids cooking stories. Recently an incident reminded me of a story that put me off eating food prepared by kids for life. Let me take it back about 20 years ago in August. It was my younger brother Robbie's birthday and our mum had planned a cute little party for him in the back garden. was my younger brother Robbie's birthday, and our mum had planned a cute little party for him in the back garden the day before we're helping to prepare the party food, namely jelly. At the time, Robbie was recovering from a bout of chicken pox. Obviously chicken pox are itchy and Robbie being a small child was scratch the chicken pox. I guess my mum thought letting him help with the food for his party would distract him from the irritation. However, I don't think she counted on him itching and scratching all over the jelly mixture. Once it was spotted, it's safe itself say Robbie had his own sanctioned jelly at the party with flaky sprinkles in it

No, I thought that I refused to eat anything cooked by him or smooth child to this day. Yeah, correct Itchy Robbie. Oh, no, my daughter did make an apple crumble the other day for every school. It was fucking delicious Oh, nice. Very impressed. I love an apple crumble. Apple crumble's so good. And let's be honest. You've got to have custard. It's the crumble, isn't it?

Crumble is fucking great. It's just biscuits with custard on it, really. Yeah, it's so good. Do you have custard or ice cream or cream? I'd have ice cream last, and custard first, and cream in the middle. But I'd take any. Not all at once?

No, no, sorry, that was my preference order. Mad order, mad way to... I thought you'd just say I prefer custard. Well, I was working it out as I said it. So custard, then cream, then ice cream. Yeah. Ambrosia Devon custard, thank you very much. Absolutely.

Yeah, Devon knows how to make it so creamy. It's cream. So here is Gemma Atkinson. Welcome to the show, Gemma Atkinson. Thank you. Thanks for having me guys. Very excited about this. Apologies if Josh just talks you about strictly on stop,

but he's got the bug. I am, I'm obviously, I am quite a dancer these days. Yes. Aren't we all? Aren't we all, yes. Aren't we all, Joe? Do you hate dance? Cause you're with a dancer?

Or do you? Yeah, well it's kind of like, it's one of them, because there's dancing, isn't there? We would on a night out and then there's dancing where, you know, there's a difference, isn't there? And I think people assume because I live with gawks, like I live with a gawker, that I am a dancer and I'm completely not, like the opposite. And I always say with Strictly, you don't learn to dance, you learn a dance routine each week. You don't learn how to dance.

If someone said to me, what's the ballroom hold? I have no idea. Do you call him Gorks? Gorks, yeah. Gork is a bit formal for me, Gorka. Is it, yeah. Gorka, yeah. It sounds like he's telling him off.

Yes. Gorka. Gorks. He's a bit more friendly, isn't he? Come on. Gorka yeah, it sounds like he's telling him off. Yes Come on go car And so what's your setup at home how many kids you got I mean kids you got that's what I've got I've got to try to think then I've got two kids Mia who's five six in July and Tiago little to he's one. He'll be two in July Tiago's a great name.

It's Portuguese, Gorka's mom's from Portugal and his dad's from Spain. And obviously with the surname Marquez, it had to kind of flow. You can't just be called Steve Marquez, can you? Steve Marquez. Oh, I like the sound of Steve Marquez. Sounds like some wild card on a stag do.

I wanted Thomas, my dad's middle name was Thomas, but then Gorka said, you'll get Tommy Marquez. He'll sound like he'll just batter everyone. I said, yeah, that's good. Tommy Marquez. He sounds like Mexican boxer. So it was his mum, his mum chose,

she said the name Tiago. And I said, that's fine. As long as we can shorten it to Tio. Cause obviously with my accent, Tiago, it's a bit... Yeah. You know. You hit the A hard. Yes. And are you still up in Manchester way? Because obviously with my accent, Tiago, it's a bit... Yeah. You hit the A hard. Yeah.

And are you still up in Manchester, way? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, at school as well, Tiago. Yeah, Tiago Waches. So he just, I mean, Tio doesn't sound a bit any softer, does it? Tio. How are you spelling Tio? T-I-O. T-I-O, yeah.

That's nice knowing that, Tio. Yeah, me and Tio. So is there cultural parenting differences that you're coming across, like in the sense of like, even stuff, the first thing I think is like Christmas must feel like really different because Spanish- Really long. Really long. Although that's like ours.

Yeah, well they celebrate all the way into January, don't they as well? Do they? I did not know that. Yeah, they have the Three Kings, they're visiting January, so they're off for a long time. Oh, Jesus. When do they turn up? I think it's around the 6th, I think.

That's too long. Fuck that. Yeah, that's what I mean. So when we're all going back to work, his mum and dad are like, no, they're still living the best life. Does he bring any traditions in at Christmas back home then with you guys that he's trying?

Because even just in the UK, Lou's very middle class. So I get that sort of infiltrated matching pajamas type setup, which we never had. But is there a Spanish influence at Christmas or Portuguese? What he does and it's rank I find it disgusting. He has every year, do you know the Spanish they're obsessed with the ham, aren't they? The proper ham. So he has a pig leg. I'm not joking. It's the thigh. It's got the hoof on it with little bits of hair. And he has it on a stand. It's a trotter. I don't want to be the, you know, go full Chris Packer. A pig's hoof. A pig's hoof. He has it out in the kitchen and just every now and again just walks past it, hacks a bit off and just stands eating every Christmas. Wow, he's my hero. Oh, it's awful.

I mean, I don't eat meat. So you can imagine me, literally, my uncle's vegan. My uncle Clive's vegan. So when he comes round and there's a frigging- He can't be called Clive and be vegan, can you? Man alive. Yeah, so we have to, we had to move it this year. I said to him, I said, Clive's coming around.

I said, move that frigging pig's foot. And the utility room stunk of just meat. Yeah, because it's hot. Because it's a hot room, the utility room. You don't want to put a big pig's leg in the utility room. Make out a tumble dryer or a pig oaf, do you? Last year we did. But mid December, the pig's foot will arrive mid December and it'll stay in our house till mid January.

Is he the only one eating it in the house? My sister and brother-in-law, me mum and everyone, the kids love it. The kids all eat anything. Oh, kids eat it? Yeah. For me it just, I mean it's just a dead end. It's a big old lump that is bigger than a coffee machine sat there and it's staring you out. It's massive. It's so long. It's like a TV set the size of a telly. Is he always eating it straight or will he like build a meal around it?

So for lunch would he go, I'm going to have like. For lunch he'll have a bit of bread. So again in Spanish they just get a proper baguette, slice it up and he'll just put the pig's leg, well a bit of ham on the bread, bit of salt, good to go. Right, but he won't just cut it and have little mouthfuls as he like. Oh yeah, no he does that as well, yeah. So in the same way that maybe, you know, if we had olives in the fridge,

I might go and get an olive out. Yeah. Or like a chocolate button. I just go, I'll have one of them now. He's doing that, but with a pig's leg in the middle of the kitchen. Yes, slicing it up and eating it. And you're a vegetarian.

Yeah. So it's wonderful. Lovely, lovely little, lovely family tradition. Yeah, good. Sorry, but little love in each family tradition. Yeah, God. Sorry, but how old were your kids, sorry? Mia is five. Yeah.

She's 16 on the 4th of July. Tiago's two on the 17th. So it's like a running theme. It's like if he gets to Halloween, he gets a quickie. Yeah, we're the same in March as early December. Yeah, he's great. He has sex on Halloween, six weeks later he gets a pig leg. He's got a great end to the year.

Exactly. And that's in mid-strictly as well. He wants to get out by that point. Exactly. Is he away a lot at the moment then? How often is he away touring? And obviously with Strictly, it's quite an intense training period

leading up to Christmas. Is he away a lot? Is it hard to juggle the kids? He's never here, yeah. It's Strictly from July till December. If they get a partner, they're based where their partner is in the week. Obviously London at the weekend. So every time the line-up's announced, all I do, I think, I don't care who it is,

I just Google where they live. If they're in Manchester, I'm like, great, you need to be... Please let him get Alex Ferguson, that's what we need. Yes, we need a mank. And then in between, strictly, like he's doing his tour now with Karen, so he's all over the place. He's not been so bad this time,

because he's had Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Hull, so he's come home between them. Like he's home today, but then he's off again for a week and a half. Karen's left you as well, Josh, so you're both being left in the lurch. I know, Karen's dumped me for Gorka. Oh, God.

Did you wear Gorka's clothes? Yeah, so I, when I did Strictly at Christmas. How tall is Gorka? He's 5'9", just. What? He tells everyone 5'10", but he's 5'9". He's not 5'9". He's not 5'10".

No, he's not 5'10". Let me tell you this, I'm 5'6", and they gave me a shirt that had the word Gorka written in the back of it. And it fit you. Yeah. Well, try the trousers next time, 10. Let me tell you this, I'm five, six, and they gave me a shirt that had the word Gorka written in the back of it. And it fit you. Yeah. Well, try the trousers next time, Josh. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha.

I'm five, nine, and we're the same size in flats, but if I wear heels, I look like he's minder. Yeah, yeah. So I always try and wear flats if I can. Or get him a little Cuban heel. Yes, yeah. And so with the kids, there are older ones in school now. And so how's that all going?

Like, do you feel like you're out of the kind of main kind of blur of it, or do you still feel like it's quite intense? I'm definitely out of the blur, but now it's in a new kind of blur, as in like the mom's school WhatsApp. There's 37 parents on a WhatsApp group. 37 parents? Yeah. Is it lively?

All the time, there are messaging today about things coming up. There's always a birthday party, someone's raffle, a school trip. I mean, a lot of the time it does save you. Like the amount of times I would have forgotten on uniform day had it not been for that group. Yeah.

But it's also a case of, you know, if there's a fair, he's baking the cakes. And I'm like, well, I was just gonna knit the co-op and bring them down, you know? Yeah. So it's a lot of pressure. Are you a proactive mom? Or are you a kind of, I'll keep my head down on that. No, I'm not proactive with the school as such. I'm very proactive, like at home with the kids. I love doing things with them like that. But when it comes to like, anything to do with this, like if Gorkas home, I say to him, please do the schoolroom. Because I'm one of them getting, drop them off, get

out. Yeah, there's sometimes groups, they stand at the bottom of the gate chatting and it's lovely. Yeah, it's really nice. But it's also like, no, when you're busy, you just got all right, you think I don't fucking care. I don't want to tell you what I'm doing. And I don't give a fuck what you're doing. Let's just get these kids home and fucking do dinner and have a bit of kip. I don't care. How's the project? But you have to be like yeah no it's been good actually. Especially when Strictly's on bless because everyone loves Strictly don't they? so, so nice, but it's almost... It's not nice, is it, Gemma? You're over it and it's a fucking pain in the arse. It's a pain when they say... You don't give a fuck about how he's doing or how the partner's doing.

You want him in Manchester and you want him home. I want him home. Don't vote for Gorka. She's doing a little Instagram post every Saturday when it's up, saying, well done, but I'm secretly thinking, don't fucking vote. So if he got voted off, right, if he got got voted off they still have to go there at the weekend to cheer him on but do they get the week free then? They have to do the group dances don't they and stuff like that. They pre-record I think it's like the first six or seven now because they did that in

lockdown and they realized it worked a lot better for hair and makeup. The group dance is not the whole thing. No yeah just the group dances. That would be a huge tabloid story. Can you imagine? Yeah I've won the 2027 one. I've just got to put a weight before it goes out then lose it when it's on. Just so it matches. Just the group dances. And it's something I think, because they used to pre-record them before the

live show. So hair and makeup would have about multiple changes. Yeah. It was a nightmare. But if they get voted out, I think it's before week six, they then do the Christmas special, Children in Need. If they get voted out, week seven, eight. That's your dream. That's your dream, Gemma. So my Instagram stops from week seven. So you don't want him to be paired with a kind of Anne Whiddicombe who'll go early, early.

You want him to be paired with someone who's fine. Midway, he'll go midway. Then he can come home, do the school runs. I don't have to speak to no one. And then at weekends, I get my weekends free because he has to be in London. Oh, the absolute dream, the absolute dream. Perfect.

And so, because you're all doing radio in the afternoon, so you don't have to do the pickup. What time's your radio show? Four till seven? Four till seven. So again, because his G do the pickup. What time's your radio show? 4 to 7? 4 to 7. So again, because his Gorkas family are in Spain, childcare is all on my mom and stepdad, which I couldn't do without them. They live 10 minutes away, thank God. So I'll get up in the morning normally when Gorkas not here, sort them out, me at the school. Tiago's in nursery three days a week. And on the days he's not in nursery, he's with

me all morning, which I do love to be fair. I love having that time. Drop him off at my mum's around two-ish and then I'm into work. My mum will sort me around after school and bring her to my house. So it is a juggle but I think every family has that, don't they? But when you get back it's a difficult time to finish at seven because if you rush home, you're bursting through the door in mid-bath, dinner, bedtime routine. So sometimes you take maybe a slower journey home. Slower journey, stop for fuel, you know, things like that. We have to have a meeting about tomorrow's show, actually,

just to go through what songs we're planning on playing. And you come home when they're in bed, it's done. How does that work with bedtime then? I think it might because the Spanish, it's gonna annoy a lot of people, but they're very good sleepers, touch wood it stays. Really, because they're Spanish? Yeah, like they love the siestas, don't they?

Yeah, but I think that was more of a climate thing as opposed to genetic, though. Maybe. But maybe the good sleepers survive longer and then came through genetics, because if you weren't sleeping during the day, you were getting too hot. That's true.

Do they siesta? Nursery Tio does, yeah they say to me he loves his food and he loves his sleep. I mean the first like six months. Would you pack him a tiny little chicken wing in his bag to slurp? Cut bits off. Keep him fed. The first six months were horrendous, like none of them really slept. And once you find your routine, you know, I expected that.

I didn't like go into parent house thinking was thinking, oh, they'll be, I'll have a floral dress and I'll be home baking and they'll be perfect. So the first six months I thought, Jesus Christ, like what have I done? Like, especially with me, I was the first one. You think how am I gonna get through this? But then they found the routine.

So I literally say to them, you're tired and they'll, yeah, do you wanna go bed? Yeah. Oh my God. Yeah. I can only imagine a child saying they're tired and wants to go to bed. my God. Yeah. I can only imagine a child saying they're tired and wants to go to bed. I know.

Do you always do that Rob? No, no, absolutely not. How old are you Rob? Nine and seven. Well, my nine year old goes to sleep pretty well, but late she would just be like, wandering around her room, reading or playing and chatting to herself.

And then the younger one just looks at me and goes, I just don't know how to do it. I just lay here and I'm trying and I'm trying, but nothing works. I just keep thinking of everything all the time. Oh God. I was like, yeah, that don't get better. Yeah.

No, as they get older, my mum said to me, she said it will change when they get older because they'll just, the brain will be going more. Yeah, it's a bit like a hundred miles an hour brain. They get a bit cocky, don't they? A bit more sass. Yes, very much so, but they're not as demanding in the day. So it's not as like, you know,

when they're like 18 months, they're running around, just please fucking just stay still. Where when they're a bit older, they're in their bed reading. Do you take them to Spain much? Like, are they going over there and is that a different place? Because in my head, that means they're staying up really late. Are the kids staying up really late in Spain? Yeah, they don't have the tea over there till about half nine. Jesus wet. Yeah, that's because they're eating a leg throughout the day

Isn't it full leg of ham and then sleeping for four hours? No, it's it's we go every Christmas and we try and go in the summer But it go because this is another thing these parents don't speak any English and my Spanish isn't great at all So we just spend like four or five days. I just nod and smile at them And poor gawker's translating his mom his dad me do the kids speak any Spanish? Yeah, they can speak bits me at seago camp, but mia does little bits But it's annoying because in her school they do french and german. Oh, that's a fucking now don't I star in it? Jesus school they do French and German. That's a fucking now Don A star isn't it? Jesus. I know. Because Spanish is the main normal one to do now these days.

A lot of schools are changing to that yeah. Especially because like when where you go on holiday like if you go you know Benidorm, Tenerife, Ibiza, Spain they're all Spanish you know you don't really go to Germany for a holiday. Is it your family? Two weeks in Munich all included. Yeah, yeah. Take the kids to October first. That's good. You've obviously been super busy with the kids and you do your radio show. You've written a book as well so is this the new career for you? Because obviously we knew you as an actress originally and now it's sort of the radio. Do you like doing lots of different things or when the kids are older you're going to get back into acting or what's the career path for you post kids? Yeah I think I love the radio or what's the career path for you post-kids?

Yeah, I think I love the radio because it's the first job I've done where I can live at home. Yeah. Holy Oaks, I was commuting to Liverpool, Emmerdale, I was commuting to Leeds, Casualty was in Cardiff. So I was always traveling.

Yeah. The radio, we do it in Castle Key in Manchester. So from my house, it's 40 minutes drive. I love it. And crucially, you start at four. Exactly. Absolute dream scenario. You're not just not having to commute,

but you're having to leave the house. At what time do you leave the house for your job? We have to, we're getting at three to like prep and stuff. So I'll leave my house latest quarter past two and I'm back latest quarter past eight. Oh my God, what a gig. I think that's the dream slot. I think breakfast is. Oh, we talk about this a lot. I did breakfast for three years and I, it was, I'd literally,

I did breakfast when I was doing strictly. I was up at four. I was on air six till 10. And then I had to rehearse half 10 till half six. You must have been knackered. Yeah. So this is a more kind of sociable time. Yes. Particularly if you've got kids.

Like, because it'd be impossible to do the breakfast show presumably in that situation. You didn't have kids when you were doing that. I didn't have kids when I did breakfast and when I fell pregnant with Mia, I, you know, I had a nice chat with the boss and just said there's no possible way I can come back to breakfast. Yeah. I've needed nanny and it just, you know, won't work. They said, well, what about drive time?

Would you do that instead? And I said, yeah, I'd love to. Of course I fucking would. It's four till seven. Yeah. Well, you can tell you've been making the most of the mornings though, cause a book's called, let's get ready. Yeah.

And it's all about getting ready in the morning. You've got, you had so much time in the morning with the kids. You've written a book about it. So much time. And Freddy the squirrel's in there. We have a squirrel who comes every day. He lets me hand feed him, Freddy the squirrel. Oh really?

So I've put Freddy in the book as well, yeah. You hand feed a squirrel? Genuinely. As long as it's a Brazil nut, he'll take it. Because they're quite long, aren't they, and chunky. Oh yeah. Any other nut is a bit fussy. But a Brazil nut. Do your kids feed the squirrel. No, cuz go could feed the squirrel. No, go cuz a bit scared of it

He says he's very fast. Yeah, man. He moves fast So, so what are you feeding this squirrel? Honestly, I put him on my Instagram who made the first move you feeding this squirrel? Well this morning I did, he comes honestly. I put him on my Instagram. Who made the first move, you or the squirrel? I think it was me. Like I put him on my Instagram every morning, he comes, I'm not joking, he sits up at the window. He sees me, waits for me.

But he doesn't come in the house? I feel bad going on holiday. No. He don't come, yeah, because because center parks have been there and they they're like, they just rip through the house and it's scary because they are quite little scratchy bars. And if any of the other squirrels you've got 2.1 million followers watching the squirrel videos German this is this is great content is huge content. You know what I have to do when I'm not even joking when we go away on holiday vegan uncle Clive has

to come around and put food out for the squirrels because I don't want him to think for two weeks I forgot about him. Vegan Uncle Clive? I want to know more about vegan Uncle Clive. Yeah. I love this guy. Vegan Uncle Clive, he's marvellous Clive. What does Uncle Clive do apart when he's not feeding the squirrel? He's like turned his life around, he's retired now. He used to work in the bakers and he was like a hippie back in the day, the stories he's told me. I mean he's mid 70s now. He

had like an epiphany about 20 years ago, and he turned up one day and he said, I'm gonna be vegan. And we all went, okay, but he stuck to it. Really? So whenever he comes for tea, now everyone's like, frigging hell, you need to get some up for climbing. Gemma, there's a great video on your Instagram of you training with your daughter in your gym. So this was two, three years ago and you've got like child weights, you've got like colorful

plastic weights. You're showing her like a kettlebell and stuff like that. She loves it. Does she like training with you then? Yeah, she does gymnastics on a Saturday, dance on a Monday, and she does swimming. And out of all them, she loves the gymnastics the most. She says that's the one she wants to do.

We have like little weights and stuff. I think, I don't know, dancing bless her. And again, everyone assumes because of Gorka being a dad, she'll have his genetics. But unfortunately, when it comes to dance, she's got mine. You got to the final, didn't you? Yeah, but I think it was people dance she's got mine. You got to the final didn't you? Yeah but I think it was people were voting for Alias really I think that's what it was but gymnastics she's just a natural at it the flips the jumps she's fearless with that

so the weight training I think goes in hand and she's always she loves going in the gym she loves she loves being outside a lot you know being active and I always encourage that with her. Yeah, I think it's important sport for kids, isn't it? Yeah, for the confidence. I mean, even for just kind of, I mean, I was reading something and it said like, it's good for kids to obviously not do it hard, but to bash the bones,

but putting pressure on the bones a lot, like running, jumping. And how we're constantly saying, I've done it when I'm saying, get down from there, don't jump off there. And it is what we're saying, as long as it's safe for them to do so, they should be doing because it's going to build posture and, you know, strength and all this stuff. But we kind of make them fear it. And, you know, we shouldn't really. And so with the book, it basically takes you through the kind of the morning routine.

It's got songs, it's got tricks. So take you through the kind of the morning routine. It's got songs, it's got tricks. So take me through the stages of the morning routine, or not all of them, but what we're thinking. Tooth brushing. First thing you do, we are a poo when you wake up. Yeah. Normally we, for me, don't know about you guys. Be too much to start the day with a poo, wouldn't it Rob?

It's fine. Post coffee. You need a coffee first. Gentlemen, I came back from India a few weeks ago and I got a terrible food poisoning and I'm still not fully recovered to the point I had to dash to the toilet on arrival at Euston. Oh no. So my morning routine's all over, post.

I'm very much at the whim of the dinner of the night before and I don't know where I'm at. My routine's fully out the window. I need a bit of structure back in my life. So this book might help. Oh, how awful it was at Houston. Do you still have to pay to use them toilets as well? No, so I'd got a first class ticket.

Oh, okay, so you did it in the lounge. Well, I was leaving, I was about to get the tube, and I was like, all this feels bad. Oh. I was like, and I can't risk this being a blow off. First class lounge, first class lounge. I can't get on a tube, you know, mess. So I went into the lounge, I was like,

oh, so pathetic, because I was in so much agony. So I desperately need to go. I just went, oh, excuse me. I've come down on the first bus train. Can I please come back in? Even though this train ticket is up here. And she's like, yeah, of course. Come in.

I was like, thank you. Thank you. And I just ran to the toilet. She's got such a good story. Oh, I felt so vulnerable. How was your day at work? Rob Beckett came in. Shit everywhere.

He ran to the toilet, shit everywhere, it stunk. And then he didn't even touch the croissants and he left. No, I didn't. I grabbed a coffee, but the cup they gave me was all leaky. And then I was like, oh God, I just left it on the side.

My routine is all over the place. So you couldn't pin me down to a full answer, but normally we, but at the moment it could be anything. Normally we. Is the magical coat trick? Yes, do you remember when all the kids were doing that? They put it on the floor. No it's so good. My son's doing that at the moment. It's the best thing in the world isn't it? What's this?

They're all doing it. Do it yourself Rob. Have you got a coat there? I can get a coat. Go and get a coat, we'll blow your mind. I don't think you'd be able to do it. Try though. Well that's the exciting thing. Can an adult do the magical coat? Do you think your arms are not bendy enough? I just don't think you'll flip it.

I don't want to lose massive dog walking coats. Yeah, perfect. That'll do. Yeah, that's a good one. Is this good for a podcast, me putting a coat on? Yeah, it is. This is good podcasting. What do you have to do?

So you put it on the floor. Like lay it out so that it's open on the floor. Right, okay. So it's flat. Flat, yeah. out so that it's open on the floor. Right, okay. So it's flat. Flat, yeah. And you go up the hood end. Yeah. The end that you wouldn't anticipate going up.

So at the moment I'm stood at the hood. So Ben's, is it Halloween? Please! Is it March? Wrong, stand at the top of the coat. Like stand so your feet are at the hood. So the hood's at your feet? Yeah, the hood's at my feet.

Yeah, okay. And now put your hands in the arms. Yeah. Put your hands down the sleeves and flick it. Down the sleeves. Yeah, you're much better at this, Gemma. And now flip it over your head. Right, okay.

Okay. One flip over your head. Oh. Oh, yes! Look at that! You did it! That's great! He even got the hood. Yeah. He even got the hood up his world. Unbelievable. Oh. Yes! Look at that! You did it! That's right.

He even got the hood. He even got the hood up his world. Unbelievable. So is this the idea, is it getting ready in the morning fun for the kids? The kids love doing that. My son loves putting his coat on because that is such an exciting trick to,

because it's difficult for kids with coats and stuff without that. It's like, I find no child, when you say put your coat on, put your shoes on. Oh they kick off. Yeah and it's like if you can make it a bit fun for them. Oh that's a great trick, what other ones you got? What we do with shoes? Shoes are just normal.

Rob, get a pair of shoes, put one on your head right? Yeah yeah, no problem, my shoes would have to fit. One of Gorka's built upup shoes when he's going out with Gemma. Yeah, a Cuban heel. But no, I think with children's books now, they were saying they always like an educational piece in there as well, not just kind of fairy tales anymore. Because it's tough, the morning routine for a lot of people. Oh, yeah. It's manic. That's another reason why I can't stand and speak to people on the school. Yeah,

I brush my teeth. I'm on a wash. You know what I mean? No deodorant on. I'm just dropping them off. Is anyone showered for drop off? If they're going straight to work, maybe, yeah. But it's hard because it's such a hassle getting ready in the morning. The last thing you want to do is once it's done, have a chat with someone. It's like coming out the crystal maze and you're out of breath that you've just done it in time.

And then someone's like, oh, that's what you're up to. I fucking just survive it, mate. I don't at all. Just literally. Any hair brushing tips? Cause my kids scream every time. Cause your hair's gone very straight, Rob.

Well, my hair is very straight. That hood has totally transformed your hair. Well, it's Adolf Hitler, the blonde version. Yeah, what's coming up? It has, it's like a co-over now, isn't it? Well, is there like static in the- No, I've not put any product in my hair. I got up and had a shower at 5am in Manchester and then left and got the train home.

So I just had a hat on, but I've got the straightest hair in the world without any stuff. Oh yeah. It's really straight, isn't it? Isn't it? Really straight. So my daughters have got my hair and lose like, livid because I've got like straight but loads of hair. So we've all got this like massively straight blonde hair. That's quite good on a girl though, isn't it? Great on a woman. Gemma, I want to ask how you deal with Gorka being away so much because I'm

away a lot on tour at the moment. So how do you manage that with the kids? Because obviously they'll miss him and things like that. How do you find it difficult and do you sort of let Gorka, because you know it's hard, you don't want to moan to Gorka because it's his job and it's work, but how do you manage that so that the kids get to you know have time with him and also you have like date nights with him and stuff like that, how do you guys manage it? I think we're lucky, I always say this, I think the reason we work so well is because we're not together 24 seven, so when people see it is like oh it's a hindrance because he's always away, it's actually good because you know nearly eight years on I still miss him when he's gone. We have things to talk about. During lockdown, like the back of his head annoyed me. So it's kind of like, it really works for us. Yeah. And

with the kids, because it's just, it's always been our normal. You know, I'm fortunate, my mom's 10 minutes away, my sister lives half an hour away. So it does take a village. And it's tougher now, me is a bit older because she understands that he has to go. So she gets a bit upset when he's leaving. That's what I'm finding. When they were younger, they're like, oh, what, where is he?

I don't know. It's been now when they're like seven and nine, they're like, oh, dad, why, you know, it's my play. Oh, can't we go and do this? And then that's difficult. And it's things like, like he's never gone trick or treating with them, or had a bonfire night or anything's difficult. And it's things like like he's never gone trick or treating with them or had a bonfire night or anything like that and it really affects him as well.

We know what you're up to on Halloween. Strictly Halloween when he's dressed up. Everyone's got a thing. It's tough but I think you just because there's nothing we can do about it. Yeah. We just crack on with it and you make your routine work. Is your daughter been to see the show? Like there's a tour show,

like would she go and watch stuff like that? Yeah, and she goes to Blackpool every year with Strictly. So on the Saturday before the live, they always do the dress room. And so I take her to Blackpool. I love the day out in Blackpool. And she'll watch the show there and all the other dancers are so lovely with her.

And she's done that every single year. So it is like part of her life now strictly but to go to the live to go to the show obviously she's not allowed in. Yeah too young and I always think it would be so nice for her but then I always think the train journey with kids you're like oh my god. And Elstree is not even in London. No you have to go in and out. You go past it on the train in and out again. And I'll be trying to use the loo to be full of Rob's shit. And you know, it's just going to be a nightmare. Don't go near Houston.

Houston's been closed for the rest of the day. Honestly, I just can't. I'm desperate for a solid one. I know this is not the time to bring it up. Fucking desperate for it. I just want to do one I can't hear. And are you feeling ill? Is it gripy?

It's more, this is a horrible thing to chat about. It's more that if I have anything that's spicy or a bit more greasy, my body's struggling with it. It's getting better each day. You have to have some probiotics. You need some probiotics. I think I need some, yeah, some good bacteria in there. Or just something in there for longer, about eight hours.

Sorry, let's get back on track. Have you traveled back to the kids? Any long haul flights? Long haul, no. The furthest we've done is Tenerife, which is four hours 20. That is hard though, because it's not on a big plane,

a little seat still, but it's a long old journey. Yeah, and when we first flew with Tiago, it was to Tenerifeife and he slept for about three hours and hours. I knew he'd be fine, he'd be perfect. And the coming back, oh my days. I was traveling with like the exorcist.

He was crazy on the way back. You're arching his back and wanting to mess with the aircon. Because he was just learning to walk then. All he wanted to do was just walk up and down. Up and down the aisle and the Gorkas blessing spent the majority of the flight just stood outside the toilet bobbing him going hey hey to everybody when he went in the toilet. Oh and they all want to chat with him as well I bet. That must be so hard the Strictly one because the main demographic are like proper like nice wholesome older women I find is the peak. Yeah. So, so I'm going, oh, hello Gorg, I love,

and you're just like, you want to go just fuck off and leave him alone, but they've been so sweet. Stood there with a wet back holding Thiago just praying to land, do you know what I mean? Yeah. It's like. Well, I think Foxtrot's my favorite actually, if you had to press me on it.

Um. Ha ha ha ha ha. Oh. Jeremy, you've done, Emmerdale, casualty, Hollyoaks. Would you try and complete the clean sweep? Would you do, if offered Coronation Street and EastEnders to do the big five?

Big five. Cory I'd do again, cause it's half an hour away. Oh, it's so local. It's so local. Come and get me please. I'd have to commute to EastEnders, wouldn't I? So that's a- But do you know what?

In winter, you'd be filming just around the corner from Strictly. From Hell Street, yeah, that's true. Corrie would be perfect for you, wouldn't it? You could do it in the morning, pop over to Hits Radio, double bubble. Can you imagine? I'd be like, mom, can you have my kids 24 seven?

Is your plan to go back to more acting then, eventually, when they're both in school more regular? Yeah, I'd love to do something like a drama where there's a start date and an end date. I can do that now because you can plan around it. But with Solt, you get your schedule. I mean, I loved it. I had such a blast in all of them, but I had no kids, I had no ties. If they wrote me up after this and said, you're due in, someone's in sick, you need to be in an hour, No problem. Whereas now

it's just because you'd get your schedule the night before. Yeah, so you get told what you're doing literally and it can be anything. I see us kind of like a doctor is on call. Yeah, a doctor of theatre. It can be from two hours a day to two 15 hours a day can be all or nothing. Yeah, word. And how old were you when you first got the job in Hollyoaks? from two hours a day to 15 hours a day, can be all or nothing. Yeah.

Oh my word. And how old were you when you first got the job in Hollyoaks? I was 16 in November and I got it that summer, so yeah, 15. Bloody hell. And so you kind of just straight out of school, been doing one thing and then the next and then the next and then the next.

I remember my mum used to come and pick me up early from lessons and I used to be sat there so embarrassed because I was going filming. I used to say I've got like a dentist appointment and it was really because I was going filming. Oh my god. So you were still at school when you were doing initially doing Holyoaks. What were you in sixth form or GCSEs? We called it fifth year. Yeah. So the last year and Holyoaks wanted to, they signed me on a three month contract and then they offered me a years. And my mum said until you finish your GCSEs you're not signing. Right. I said do your GCSEs so you've got a

backup. Yeah. So I did my GCSEs got what I needed and then I signed polyopes and that was what I mean I'm 40 now so a long time ago. And have you needed any of those GCSEs? No thankfully touch wood. I've been alright. Shut up, mum, you should have more faith. God, that must have been such a weird thing to go from being in school to being so high profile being in Hollyoaks. Do you know, it was, but it didn't feel high profile at all because from 15 to like 23, 22, that's when I was doing it. I was doing Hollyoaks, the Lad Mags going out. There was no social media.

You didn't feel any, well I personally didn't feel any pressure at all. I'm sure everyone had an opinion on me, but none of them had access to tell me. So it didn't affect me at all. And when you went out, you weren't thinking, oh, someone's taking a photo of me or someone's doing this.

No, no, no, camera phones, did they really? No, they didn't have any of that either. It was just like your little Nokia 6210 and BC Cell that, do you remember them? And then you'd laugh at us. Yeah, or the banana phone, the slidey one, remember that? Yeah. And did you enjoy doing the Lad Smags?

Because obviously it's completely changed culturally now, but was it fun at the time or did you think this is a bit weird? Yeah, I loved it. No, you enjoyed it? No, I enjoyed it because I always had the same team. So I always had the same hair and makeup artist, same photographer, my agent used to come, we'd go on holiday, we went everywhere,

Thailand, Bali, Spain, and it was just, again, when I look back now, I think crikey, I did every single magazine and calendar, but at the time, I was just like 20 odd saying my major we're going to Bali next week for a shoot brilliant let's do it come back carry on life and I've my four best friends who I see every two weeks and you're went to school with they live ten minutes away and in between doing all that I was just hanging out with my mates like normal amazing and did it

feel like like do you keep all of the copies? Have you kept all of like, you know, like in the way that some people? No. Giant woman's hell fun up there. That's a bit more of a high brow on that one. Did someone send you, how big is that? That's like life size copy copy of women's health.

That is, isn't it? Women's health sent it me. Women's health sent it to you. It needs to go on the wall, but it's too. Yeah, where'd you put that? You can't have it in the hallway. No. Put it on the front door.

My mom's got a scrap box of nuts loaded, so even- Her scrap looks like a 13 year old boy's. Yeah, but literally her loft, there's about seven of them. And even like little cutouts from the Daily Star. Oh bless her. Everything she's kept. And it's so nice to go through it all and look actually. Are you glad social media didn't exist then?

Like, does it feel like a completely, it would have been a totally different existence, wouldn't it? We've all actually said, thank God, because none of us would work again. Do you know what I mean? It's like now, times are so different now. And I'm glad that I had that not only that time in my career, but in my, you know, from being a child to a woman without any

of that, I imagine now for kids, it's hard having social media because you're a target. No matter what, there's always someone who can voice their opinion at you and if your kid's not built in a way to think okay that opinion's fine I'm not gonna I've got my blinkers on anyway it's gonna get to them and it's either gonna make them a big-headed everyone loves me look how many likes or it's gonna make them so insecure and sad and you don't want any of them for your kid. It's hard to know what to do I mean if your daughter wanted to go down the sort of modeling and acting route and do the kind of shoots you were doing at like 18, 20,

how would you feel about that? Would you be supportive or? Yeah, I mean, I guess that's the other thing. There's no magazines now. Yeah. Yeah. No, I'd say to her not, not an advisor not to do it, you know, a supporter, but I would advise her to do something different because it's not it sounds really arse it it's not it doesn't seem special now it's kind of like back in the day I remember there was Kelly Brooke and Dremackeli Hazel

as if you both went yet. No, no, no. Sorry, who was that again? I don't remember. I'm trying to work out how long of a delay I can... I obviously know there's people, but I can't say yes immediately. Yes. Yeah, just finish the list, would you Rob?

Just finish the list. Caprice. It was the odd few, there was like a bunch. Whereas now, everywhere you look. And did you know each other? No, we knew each other to say hello to. Yeah. But there was never, there wasn't any rivalry

or anything like that, but I always used to see, I mean, I met Kelly Brooke briefly and I don't know if you've seen her in the flesh. She's so much more, I mean, she's beautiful in magazines, but I was taking a back at how beautiful she is in the flesh. Yeah. I met her just briefly in London and I was like, Oh my God, she looks like a Disney character, a face we've just done in. I was thinking, Oh my God, she's beautiful. Whereas I think now on my god, she's beautiful. Whereas I think now on social media, there's so many filters and apps and everyone kind of starts looking the same. So there's no there's no kind of wow-ness anymore, I don't feel. I think at the start of those sort of magazines that we've loaded, when that first started,

it was almost like quite funny and quite cool artistic shoots. And then it did descend towards like front magazine and zoo where it got a bit more just boobs and stuff but like I said at the start it was like a special shoot where you're going out to Thailand to do this shoot rather and just like back room of so I've like right take your top off and quit photo it sort of why did you need to be in Thailand how much for people enjoying the the location or was there just so much money floating around it started at the beginning of being quite like art it was like the arty side of Latinx

and then it descended. Yeah, you need a sunset. You need a nice beach. No, do you know what? It was a game because we were all mates and this location, lovely location came up and it was called Pattaya and they had it booked for one week and the photographer said to us, listen, we can either do four or five shots a day for a week. He said, oh, if you want to nail three days, he says, there's a flight to Bangkok

on Wednesday. Should we go to Bangkok and enjoy? Because I've never been. Yeah. So I said, yeah, let's do it. So we worked like three days solid and then went to Bangkok and that was an experience. Crikey. The stuff I saw over there, that's when I felt, Oh, I want to go home. It wasn't doing the shoots with no clothes on, it was going to Bangkok. Gemma, we always end with the same question. What's the one thing that your partner does that blows you away as a parent? You're like, that is amazing. That's one with them. And then there's one thing they do that maybe you haven't mentioned to him that annoys you.

If you were to listen to this, it would be passed on to him. What annoys me, as if I went in that with that one first, that's awful, isn't it? Yeah, no, the first time ever, but fair play to you, Gemma. Straight off the bat, absolutely disregarding the positive. He'll try and FaceTime me blessing around 20 past eight when he knows that that's the manic time. We're leaving at half-past Oh, yeah, that's bad. And if I don't answer it, he'll follow it with a text. Hey, just tried to call you

I said, I know because I had my phone. I was waiting for it to stop ringing Because I'm going out the door Like he follows up a missed call with a text as if you can't see the missed call Yeah, as if you're a grand that doesn't realize how missed calls I don't know if you realize why I try to ring you so if you just want to press a little green button the next time texting to tell me he's wrong that I've missed it isn't going to make me bring back I'll bring back when the kids are in the car and we're driving to school yes does he want to speak to him

before school then yeah and I always call him in the car that's just hassle for you in it yes such a house just fuck off mate I've got enough on I don't need you getting them all rolled up. Me is trying to flip a coat on. Tiago won't put his shoes on. And he's ringing me. And is he just lying in a hotel room having heard a lion at that point?

Having had a lion, waiting for his breakfast, waiting for a stroll with Karen, birds tweeting, all lovely. And he'll say, but I had like nights. We finished the show late. And I'm like, yeah, okay. But there's no, the thing he does lovely is even when he has like back to back shows and he's knackered, whenever he can get home, he always does. Even if it's just for six, seven hours and then he's back again. And I can sometimes tell bless him, you know, they do meet and greets before the show

and the people who've had pictures with him, they'll message me on Instagram saying, I met Gorka, look. And I can see in his face, he's so tired, but he's smiling and he's like, he pulls himself in so many different directions to make sure anytime he can have with us, he does have with us.

He's the kind of dad that would go through Houston and they wouldn't stop for a shit. You know, there's some dads. He shits himself. He'll just shit himself and get on that tube. Yes. Better man than me. That's what I love is that he's always present

whenever he can be, no matter how short or long. And he's very, I think it may be again, because it's Spanish maybe, he's very affectionate all the time and very loving. He's always, every day he's messaging me, he loves me and this and that. Whereas I have to kind of think, oh, if not message Gorka. How often does Lou message you that she loves you, Rob?

I'd say I'm more the Gorka in the relationship with Lou. I love you, babe, I love you. Yeah, I'm busy. Okay, still love you. You're very Spanish, aren't you, Rob? Oh, so Spanish. Love a bit of ham. Yeah, but I was gonna say, if Gorka did love me,

he'd stop bringing a dead fox into my house. But I love her. I love her. The book is Let's Get Ready. It is out, is it out now? Yeah, when this comes out, yeah. All good book shops, et cetera. Cheers, Gemma.

Thanks so much. Gemma Atkinson. Love Gemma. She's good fun, isn't she? Yeah, she's great value, isn't she? How do we start talking about my ass in the middle of that? Yeah, why was that? We were talking about getting ready in the morning, if you do a poo in the morning, and then I opened up.

You opened up. You can't help yourself from opening up these days, Rob. Honestly, do you know what I long for? It's just, I sit there and I hear one big plop, and then I'm done. If you do, Rob, don't send us the voice file for the opening of the show. I sit there and I hear one big plop and then I'm done. If you do, Rob, don't send us the voice file for the opening of the show. At the moment, it's like I'm putting jelly in a shredder.

Right, yeah. See you later. Bye.