Gemma Atkinson hit back at critics of her long-distance relationship with fiancé Gorka Marquez on Lorraine on Wednesday.
The presenter, 39, revealed she is ‘great on her own’ while the Strictly Come Dancing star, 33, goes away to work as she likes her own ‘space’ as she continues to hit back at persistent split rumours.
Currently, Gorka is a judge on the Spanish version of the BBC competition, Bailando con las Estrellas, and is ‘home during the week’ and in Madrid on the weekends to film.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, Gemma said she doesn’t care if people find their romance ‘strange’ because she is used to it and ‘it has always been that way’.
She said: ‘He’s on the Spanish Strictly as a judge, he’s home during the week but then at the weekends I get my space so it works out.’
Gemma Atkinson told Lorraine on Wednesday she likes her ‘space’ from Strictly Come Dancing fiancé Gorka Marquez as she shut down persistent split rumours
The presenter revealed she is ‘great on her own’ as she hit back at critics of her romance
She continued: ‘I get that people would find it strange that we are apart a lot but that’s how it’s always since we met. Every year I know between August and Christmas, and Gorka knows, he doesn’t know where he is going to be.
‘Because I have done Strictly and I know that side of it, it’s not a shock to me. Army wives, their partners are away for six or seven months and they make out that I’ve been moaning that I’ve been on my own for three weeks but really I am having the best time.
‘You don’t want to be so dependent on each other that you can’t do anything without them and I think that’s what’s great about me and Gorka is that on his own he’s great, on my own I’m great but together it’s like unstoppable.’
The engaged couple, who share two children Mia, four, and six-month-old Thiago recently celebrated their six year anniversary.
Gemma went on to admit it feels like the couple have ‘been together a lot longer’ because they spend time apart.
She added: ‘We actually celebrated our anniversary with a child free date night, it was my mums idea. It’s six years but because we’re apart so much it feels like we have been together a lot longer.
Earlier this week, Gemma took to Instagram to share a gallery of snaps to celebrate her anniversary with Gorka.
She wrote: ‘To think some called it curse… Yet 6 years and a beautiful family later and you’re still in my top 5.
Currently, Gorka is a judge on the Spanish version of the BBC competition, Bailando con las Estrellas, and is ‘home during the week’ and in Madrid on the weekends to film
Speaking on Lorraine, Gemma said she doesn’t care if people find their romance ‘strange’ because she is used to it and ‘it has always been that way’
The engaged couple, who share two children Mia, four, and six-month-old Thiago recently celebrated their six year anniversary
Gemma went on to say the pair are great alone but ‘unstoppable’ together as she revealed it feels like they have ‘been together a lot longer’ because they spend time apart
‘Happy Anniversary Gorks! I love you so much. With all the noise and craziness around us, you’ll always be my safe place away from it all ❤️ Here’s to us! I can’t wait to celebrate later! Ps. I will forever annoy you with an air horn’.
Earlier this month, a source told The Mirror Gemma is ‘effectively raising two kids by herself’ leaving her ‘frustrated’.
They said: ‘Gemma knows how important Gorka’s work is to him and goes above and beyond to be supportive but she found it challenging when he wasn’t able to travel back to Manchester to spend time with her and the kids, even when he’d been voted off last year’s series.
‘But then he signed up to Bailando con las Estrellas, and the plan changed. Gemma knows he’s just wanting to support his family, but it’s disappointing for her.
‘It’s a really rough patch for them. Gorka has also been frustrated because they haven’t had time to travel to Bilbao for Thiago to meet his elderly parents.’
The source added: ‘Gemma has been effectively raising two kids by herself. She was focusing on the end of the series as the end point – but the judging role was too good an opportunity to miss. As with any couple, the longer they’re apart, the more tension there is between them.’
