Gemma Atkinson has revealed what it was like to date Cristiano Ronaldo, including a night in watching a classic British sitcom. The Hollyoaks star was romantically linked to the footballer in 2007 during his time at Manchester United.
Ronaldo's Wedding Weekend
Ronaldo is set to marry his long-term partner, Georgina Rodriguez, this weekend in Madeira, the island where he was born and raised. The couple have been together since 2016, and Rodriguez announced their engagement in August 2025.
Long before Rodriguez, however, a young Ronaldo was linked to Atkinson, who also appeared on I'm A Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing. In 2022, Atkinson shared details of their date, saying they spent the evening at her house drinking tea and watching Only Fools And Horses.
She said: "We went to my house, drank cups of tea and watched Only Fools And Horses. Genuinely! I don’t know if he’s into it now but he seemed to enjoy it."
Atkinson's Silence on the Romance
Atkinson also claimed she was offered substantial money to discuss their relationship, but she has always refused. The 41-year-old added: "When we did split up, I got offered so much money to speak about him. And I didn’t want that."
Ronaldo moved on from Atkinson and Manchester, signing for Real Madrid in 2009, and went on to become one of the greatest footballers of his generation. He first met Rodriguez in 2016.
Rodriguez's Engagement and Support
Rodriguez announced their engagement on social media in August 2025, telling followers: "Yes I do. In this and in all my lives." She recently revealed a touching message from Ronaldo after facing body-shaming trolls.
She said: "I was talking about it with Cris and I told him, ‘I’m worried that they’re calling me fat now, because I make a living from my image’. And he replied, ‘You don’t live off your image. You live off who you are. A perfect woman. Beautiful, with a great body, a mother, a good person, successful, and who lives life with love. What more could you want? It’s normal to be envied’."
She added: "Sometimes we all need someone to remind us what truly matters."
