Gemma keeps her feet on the ground

10:53am Wednesday 12th November 2008

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FORMER Hollyoaks babe Gemma Atkinson may have graced the pages of numerous calendars and magazines wearing not much more than a gleaming white smile and has done serious damage to the blood pressure of this middle aged arts reporter.

When I was offered the chance to interview the Bury born beauty I didn’t need to think twice about it. But, after meeting her, I can say that, beneath the sexy facade is a pleasant girl with her feet planted firmly on the ground. She may look a million dollars but anyone who is expecting a jumped up diva wil be sadly disappointed.

This Christmas will see Gemma strugggling to keep her feet on the ground - bad joke, I know - when she plays the lead in the Opera House’s production of Peter Pan. This is the first time she’s ever appeared in panto and for someone who’s spent most of her working life in television, the chance to do something different was one she simply couldn’t pass up. She also relished the idea of appearing in her home city.

“I’ve been asked to do panto quite a lot but it’s always down south. But this is in Manchester and Peter Pan was one of my favourite storiees when I was growing up. And it’s good to play a lad - I don’t have to have my hair and make-up done. It’s a nice change for me,” she says.

Gemma agrees that part of the attraction with pantos is that they allow adults, both actors and audience members alike, to get away with being big kids, just for an hour or two. However, when we met before rehearsals began she was having one or two butterflies. This is, after all, the first time she’s worked with a live audience.

“If they don’t like something on TV they can turn it off, but if they don’t like this you can see it in their facial expressions. I think for kids it’s the atmosphere as well - sometimes they don’t really understand what’s going on but you’ve got the anticipation, the excitement and the whole thing of going on a trip at Christmas,” she says.

While the Channel 4 teen soap Hollyoaks gave the goregous 24 year old her big break, she felt it took her some time to lose her “Hollyoaks tag” and be considered for more varied roles. But times have changed and in the New Year she’s off to the States to pursue various projects that were, at the time of writing, still in their very early stages. She was recently seen in the film Boogie Woogie opposite the likes of Joanna Lumley and Christopher Lee.

Is she comfortable with her sex symbol reputation or does she find it embarrassing?

“I’ve comfortable with it in the pictures because I’m obviously air brushed and touched up but if people saw me in the flesh they’d be a bit taken aback,” she says, with breathtaking modesty.

Panto co-star John Thomson, who is in the room with us, shakes his head and dismisses her comments vigorously. I agree with him whole heartedly but, being the consumate professional, I keep my feelings to myself. Rick Bowen * Peter Pan is at the Opera House from December 6 to January 4. Performance times are 2.30pm to 7pm Tuesday to Saturday and 1pm and 5pm on Sunday. Tickets are available from 0844 847 2295 or you can book online at www.palaceandoperahouse.co.uk