Gemma Atkinson reveals why she snubbed Hollyoaks’ pleas for her to return
Former Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson has revealed that bosses have asked her to return to the soap ‘a few times’ but insists she won’t be heading back anytime soon.
The actress, 41, became a household name playing Lisa Hunter between 2001 and 2005, before going on to star as Carly Hope in Emmerdale.
While Gemma did make a brief return to Hollyoaks in 2022, she’s now admitted that chapter of her career is firmly behind her.
Opening up on her podcast Lost in Translation, which she hosts with fiancé Gorka Márquez, Gemma explained that the demands of filming a soap simply don’t fit with family life anymore.
During a chat about her acting career, she revealed that Hollyoaks has approached her on more than one occasion about reprising the role that launched her career.
She said: ‘Hollyoaks kindly asked me back a few times and I love Hollyoaks, forever grateful for [it], it’s because of that soap I’m where I am now.’
Despite her affection for the Channel 4 soap, Gemma admitted there’s one big reason she’s turned the offers down.
With two young children to think about, she says the unpredictable nature of soap filming is no longer something she’s willing to take on.
She explained: ‘I wouldn’t be able to do a soap again… The thing is with soaps, you have to be on call 24/7 unless you specifically book time off.’
Gemma went on to explain just how demanding life on a soap can be behind the scenes.
‘We had to have in my contracts with Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and Casualty, that you had to be within an hour of the studio all the time unless you’d book time off,’ she said.
She even recalled being summoned to the Liverpool set while she was in London during her time on Hollyoaks, highlighting just how quickly filming schedules can change.
These days, Gemma says she’d much rather take on projects with a clear beginning and end, allowing her to organise childcare well in advance rather than having to be constantly available.
She has previously said she’d love to appear in a one-off drama because she’d know exactly when filming starts and finishes, making it much easier to balance work with raising her children.
The former soap star also praised one of her Emmerdale co-stars for managing to juggle both worlds.
Gemma said: ‘I shared a changing room with Lucy Pargeter, who had twins and at the time they were like Thiago’s age. I genuinely do not know how she did it.’
Gemma shares daughter Mia, six, and son Thiago, two, with fiancé Gorka Márquez, who she got engaged to in 2021.
The couple have both made significant career decisions in recent years, with Gorka also stepping away from one of his biggest television roles.
Earlier this year, the professional dancer confirmed he would not be returning to Strictly Come Dancing after deciding to leave the BBC show following scheduling conflicts with Dancing with the Stars Spain.
Announcing his departure, Gorka said: ‘After last year’s decision to step down as a full-time professional due to scheduling conflicts between Strictly and Dancing with the Stars Spain, I’ve decided that now is the time to hang up my dance shoes and say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing.’
He added: ‘I will always be incredibly grateful to Strictly and the BBC for everything. Being part of the show has been so much more than just a professional opportunity.’
While fans may still be hoping to see Gemma back on the cobbles or in the village one day, it sounds like she’s more than happy to leave soap life in the past.
