Gemma Atkinson issues warning to fans as she makes heartbreaking family confession

Gemma Atkinson issued a warning to fans as she made a heartbreaking confession about her father's tragic death. The Strictly Come Dancing star was just 17 when her dad David died of a heart attack at the age of 52.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday (June 23), Gemma begged her fans to always go to the hospital if they have chest pains as she shared a post about a heart health clinic offering discounts on treatments.

Gemma, who is engaged to Strictly star Gorka Marquez, wrote: "Never take the chance with chest pains... My dad took over the counter medication for what he thought was heartburn. A week later he died of a heart attack.

"The @venturi_cardiology can help so many of you by spotting things in advance. They currently have discounts on lots of treatments so I'm sharing in the hope that other families don't go through what we went through."

Gemma candidly discussed her experience with grief as she opened up about her father's death last year. Speaking on The Overshare podcast with contributor Andrea, Gemma said: 'I was 17 when my dad passed away and it was very sudden…

"I have a big sister Nina, she is 7 years older than me so I relied on my sister and my mum to get me through it, they were the matriarchs, the older ones.

"And I’ve only realised now being a mum myself, I realise when something happens, as a parent if you’ve got other children you kind of have no choice, because you’re the matriarch, you’re the one who they depend on and they are going to ask the questions to.

The former Emmerdale actress, who is proud mum to Mia and Thiago, continued: "It's kind of like you’re wearing a mask all day because you want explain to them where their little brother or nana is, but at the same time, you’re dealing with so much.

"In our family, Gorka is the sensitive one, I’m very much, like Andrea’s partner, I feel like if I don’t mention it, it didn’t happen and it's fine…

"And I’ve realised in the long run, it doesn’t help anyone, it certainly doesn’t help me and I’m sure sometimes for you Andrea, especially at the start you probably saw it as they don’t care and it’s kind of the complete opposite, we care so much we rather not address it, because addressing it is admitting it happened."

Gemma added: "Mia thinks her grandad David lives in the moon, whenever the moon comes out she goes 'Grandad David’s out!' She thinks he’s stuck up there, she said 'he’s in the moon with Vera which was an old dog and the queen'. So he’s living his best life with a bulldog and the queen."

Gemma is now a patron for Grief Encounter, a charity that helps bereaved children and their families.