Gemma Atkinson has made a "tough" admission about her Strictly star partner Gorka Marquez.
The 39-year-old former Emmerdale star confessed that the coming month would be challenging for her as the dancer will be away from home for five weeks. After a brief hiatus, Gemma returned to Hits radio, having taken time off to focus on motherhood with baby Thiago.
During today's show, co-host Mike Toolan asked how she was managing with two children while Gorka is away on tour. Speaking candidly, former Strictly contestant Gemma revealed it's "tough".
READ MORE: Gemma Atkinson 'likes spending time away from Gorka' as she addresses split speculation
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She responded: "He's away for five weeks now, who knows where, he's all over the shop. It is tough and it isn't - it takes a village they say with kids and I'm very fortunate that me Mum and me sister are very close by."
"But it's all me and Gorka have known, so sometimes it is easier for me to get into the routine with the children whilst he's not here and then he comes back and ruins the routine. But he's nice to have around the house," she added.
Despite his absence, Gemma couldn't help but praise the doting dad, lauding his cooking skills and hands-on parenting approach. She continued: "Gorka is a fantastic chef and really good in the kitchen so the hardest thing is I have to make my own meals now which is awful isn't it?"
"And the school run is manic because I have to get Thiago sorted and if he does a poonami I have to deal with it now whereas Gorka could step in while I sorted Mia. So, I feel like I need to be an octopus, but it's fine it's only two."
The talking point came after she accidentally hinted at Gorka's comeback on his beloved BBC programme. Earlier this month, she seemed to spill the beans about his Strictly status on Instagram during a chat with her 1.9 million followers on her story.
She was overheard stating: "Depending on Gorka's partner and whether he has a partner, depending on where they're based, he doesn't know where he is. All the childcare lands on my family because obviously, all his family are in Spain."
However, the post mysteriously vanished soon after it surfaced. A spokesperson emphasised that no dancers have been offically confirmed by the channel yet. The spokesperson announced an official statement will be shared "in due course".
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