Gemma Atkinson was a proud mother as she celebrated her son Thiago's first birthday. As well as showering the little boy with presents and balloons, the former Hollyoaks star ensured the day was extra memorable with a gigantic birthday cake.
A towering confection by Charlie Bakes covered with cherry red royal icing had been topped with a Mickey Mouse 'Happy Birthday' sign. Swirls of black and red buttercream cascaded down one side, securing a "1" and several Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto. Gold stars had been sprinkled across the top of the personalised cake, which was finished with Thiago's name spelt out in icing.
While Gemma hadn't yet cut into the cake to reveal the flavour, she did share a photo of her little boy sitting on the side with a bowl of cake between his legs as he grinned from ear to ear. Vanilla cake and white icing appeared to be stuck to the spoon, and his delighted expression was an indication of Thiago's verdict on his first birthday cake.
Gemma also shared a video of some of Thiago's highlights, from his birth to sweet sibling moments with her daughter Mia and doting father-son bonding with Strictly's Gorka Marquez.
She gushed in the caption: "A whole year of loving you. Thiago Thomas, what would we do without you. Such a happy, loving, cheeky and curious bundle of joy. You make us smile every single day and you couldn’t be more loved.
"Thank you for allowing me to become a mum again. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have two beautiful children. You and your sister are the perfect duo. I can’t wait to see you grow together and whiteness the shenanigans you both get up to. Happy Birthday darling boy! We love you."
Thiago's birth
In an interview with HELLO!, Gemma opened up about Thiago's birth via C-section, despite her plans for a natural birth after having emergency surgery with her daughter Mia.
After 24 hours of labour at home, the actress was given the option of being induced or having an operation to deliver Thiago.
She chose the latter, and only positive things to say about the experience. "This time was so much more relaxed. It was a wonderful experience. It just so happened that the same surgeon who delivered Mia was on shift, so she delivered Thiago as well.
"Of course, recovery is still tough – it’s a huge operation – but I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. It felt like it was meant to be this way."
Gorka had to return to work three days after Mia was born in 2019 when Gemma was still unwell, but he managed to spend more time with his young family following the birth of their second child.
"This time around, we have a full week together and it feels like a blessing,” he says. “When I leave now, I’m thinking: 'Okay, Gemma is safe, she can move, she can be independent.'
"When Mia was born and I had to leave, I was crying because Gemma was in bed – she couldn’t even lift herself up – and I thought: ‘Why am I leaving?’ I just felt so guilty."