Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal captain and one of the world's most celebrated footballers, reportedly had a romantic relationship with well-known soap star Gemma Atkinson during his first spell at Manchester United in 2007. The revelation comes as Ronaldo, now 41, prepares to lead his nation in a World Cup quarter-final clash against Spain at The Dallas Stadium on Monday evening.
Atkinson, 41, rose to fame playing Lisa Hunter on Channel 4's Hollyoaks for four years before leaving in 2005. She later appeared as Carly Hope on ITV's Emmerdale from 2015 to 2017 and briefly reprised her Hollyoaks role in 2022. The actress offered a glimpse into her fleeting relationship with Ronaldo during an appearance on Hits Radio Manchester, revealing that their dates were surprisingly low-key given his superstar status.
Low-Key Dates and Tea with Ronaldo
“We went to my house, drank cups of tea and watched Only Fools And Horses,” Atkinson admitted. “Genuinely! I don't know if he's into it now, but he seemed to enjoy it.” She also disclosed that she was offered substantial sums to discuss the relationship after it ended. “When we did split up, I got offered so much money to speak about him,” she confessed. “And I didn't want that.”
Atkinson is now happily engaged to professional dancer Gorka Márquez, 35, whom she met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017. Although she was partnered with Aljaž Škorjanec and Márquez with Alexandra Burke, the pair connected off-camera and began dating after the show's live tour in 2018. They have been engaged since Valentine's Day 2021 and share two children, Mia and Thiago.
Gemma Atkinson's Career and Family Life
Beyond acting, Atkinson hosts The Gemma Atkinson and Mike Toolan Show on Hits Radio weekday afternoons, runs her own skincare brand Gem and Tonic, and boasts over 2 million Instagram followers. She also co-hosts the podcast Lost In Translation with Márquez, who recently announced his departure from Strictly after a decade on the show.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is engaged to Georgina Rodriguez, a former sales assistant he met in 2016 at a Gucci store in Madrid. They became engaged in August 2025 and are parents to six children. His eldest son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., 16, was born in June 2010 in the United States. In June 2017, it emerged that Ronaldo had fathered twins, Eva and Matteo, now nine, via surrogate in America. A month later, he confirmed that he and Rodriguez were expecting their first child together; daughter Alana, eight, was born in November 2017.
Tragedy and Family Expansion
In October 2021, the couple announced they were expecting twins, but tragically lost their son, Angel, shortly after his birth in April 2022. They later revealed their baby daughter's name as Bella Esmeralda. Rodriguez, born in Argentina and raised in Spain, is a model, trained dancer, and businesswoman who gained fame through her Netflix documentary series I Am Georgina. She is a prominent social media influencer with over 74 million Instagram followers, though Ronaldo remains the platform's most-followed individual with 671 million followers.
