Gemma Atkinson has posted a heartfelt tribute, honouring her late father as she prepares to welcome her first child with boyfriend Gorka Marquez. The 34-year-old took to Instagram to reveal that it had "dawned on her" that her unborn child wouldn't be able to have a relationship with her dad, who died when she was 17. "It dawned on me today the wonderful relationship I had with my grandparents when I was growing up, and then it hit me my dad won't get to meet his grandchild," she wrote.
"Seems crazy... I blame the pregnancy hormones but today has been a bloody rollercoaster," she added. "Fits of laughter to sobbing. Thankfully, I had cookies." Fans immediately rushed to post messages, with one saying: "My dad was my best friend in the world, to not have him there to walk me down the aisle or hold my son is painful, it really hurts, but I just remember that he would be so incredibly proud and so in love with my boy and it helps me smile through it all." Another wrote: "My daughter lost her dad at 13 years of age and both of us share your thoughts. She's 21 now and with every milestone in her life it gets harder to beat xx."
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Gemma, who met Gorka on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, is due to welcome their first child together in coming weeks. The couple announced their happy news with fans in February - one year after confirming their romance. Opening up about how they will raise their baby, Gorka recently told The Sun that their child will be bilingual. "Of course our baby will learn to speak Spanish," he revealed. "Gemma loves where I'm from too. She has been to visit, we love how hot it is." The pro dancer added: "I love being an uncle so I can't wait to be a dad."
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