Best Known As: Fashion Figure,  Television Actor

Gist:  Gemma Louise Atkinson (born 15 November 1984 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English actress, television personality and glamour and lingerie model.

Life Facts:  Originally from Bury, Greater Manchester, Atkinson took her GCSEs at Castlebrook High School before becoming a commercial and photographic model.

Career Facts:  Atkinson rose to fame playing Lisa Hunter on the Channel 4 teenage soap opera Hollyoaks. Atkinson and Marcus Patric (who played the character Ben Davies) subsequently appeared in a "spin-off" series called Hollyoaks: Let Loose for E4, in which their characters started a new life together in Chester. This was followed by Hollyoaks: In the City, also screened on E4.

Atkinson played Goldie Lookin Chain's love interest in the music video for the single "R'n'B" and featured on the cover of the CD single release.

In October 2007, Atkinson played herself in the pilot for Plus One, part of the pilot series Comedy Showcase.

In January 2008, Atkinson appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, with Marcus Patric.

Atkinson has a role in the British independent film Boogie Woogie, which is set to premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June 2009. According to press reports, Atkinson is also planning to launch a music career.

Atkinson made her debut video game appearance in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (2008) in the role of Lt. Eva McKenna, which she reprised in Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising (2009). She also took part in EA's "Be The One" event in Trafalgar Square on 29 October 2008, which forms part of the London Games Festival.

In December 2008, Atkinson appeared in Peter Pan at the Manchester Opera House. She took the title role alongside John Thomson who played Captain Hook.

In February 2009, Atkinson did some filming in the UK for a horror film called 13Hrs, in which she plays a character called Emily, and in March 2009 she did some filming for a new UK gangster film called Baseline.

Also in March 2009, she was asked to do an episode of The Bill. After 5 separate days filming she finished work on this project early April 2009. The episode will be shown some time in September 2009 when The Bill goes to one show per week.

Gemma will be appearing in a West End production of Tim Firth?s Calendar Girls at the Noel Coward Theatre, from July 28 to October 17.

The play is about a group of middle-aged English women who pose for a racy calendar, Gemma will play the character Elaine.

In September 2007, Atkinson did a charity run for breast cancer awareness.

She embarked upon a walk along the Great Wall of China in April 2008, as part of a charity event organised by Olivia Newton-John's breast cancer awareness charity. She was joined on her section of the walk by celebrities Marcus Patric and Ant and Dec amongst others. The walk was intended to symbolise the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery.

Atkinson visited The Home and Garden Show at Chester Racecourse on 5 June 2008 to unveil the room she designed with furniture store owner Arighi Bianchi which would be suitable for teenagers in conjunction with the Teenage Cancer Trust charity. Her room design later won first prize and she collected a trophy for her efforts.

It was created in association with Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), the Home and Garden Show's official charity, and the design will now be incorporated into the TCT unit at Christie Hospital, Manchester. Atkinson has also been asked to become a full ambassador for the TCT charity.

On 8 January 2009, Atkinson was at Spinningfields in Manchester helping to launch The Great Manchester Run,a run for charity that took place on 17 May 2009. At the launch, she was joined by singer Russell Watson, and actors Anthony Cotton and Britt Ekland. Atkinson ran to raise funds for the New Children's Hospital appeal. She finished the 10k run on 17 May 2009 with a time of 1 hour 6 mins.