Gemma Atkinson slams bodyshamers: ‘I was going through a horrendous time’
The actress posted a heartfelt message on Instagram
Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson has hit out at bodyshamers, revealing that she was going through a ‘horrendous’ time when a picture was taken of her looking slimmer.
In a heartfelt Instagram post the actress revealed that she’d received messages about how much better she’d looked in a photo taken seven years ago.
However she admitted the real reason she looked so slim in the image was because she’d just gone through a break-up and was seeing stories about herself in the media.
She wrote: ‘This shot was when I filmed Command and Conquer seven years ago. So many people comment on this and message me saying how much thinner I was then and how much better I looked.
‘The truth is, YES. I was a lot slimmer then (too slim for my height in my opinion) but what no one knew apart from my family, close friends and my agent was that I was going through an absolutely horrendous time.
‘I was coming out of a relationship and reading / hearing so many stories about myself all of which were false. I was ill with worry and on edge 24/7 for weeks. It was awful. I couldn't eat.
‘If feeling like that is what it takes for me to be "super slim" then show me the cake!!! It makes me feel sad now even thinking about how I felt back then.
'I'm so happy that now although I'm heavier and bigger and stronger, I'm mentally in a good place. I'm worry free, stress free and able to enjoy my food and sleep easy. Appearance isn't everything. Mindfulness and health is.’
The 31-year-old played Lisa Hunter on Hollyoaks for four years, starred in Casualty for three years and currently plays Carly Hope on Emmerdale.
The actress is currently in a relationship with former rugby player Olly Foster.