Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson has said she was offered free liposuction in exchange for a few promotional social media posts, but turned it down because it was a “ridiculous” idea.

The soap star and radio host, who in recent years has become an inspiration for many due to her fitness regime and toned physique, added she would never make a celebrity fitness DVD just the for financial benefit, and that she has declined offers to do so.

Gemma, 32, told the Press Association: “I always try, on Instagram, to let people know they can’t really be anyone else or look like anyone else.”

Gemma Atkinson
Gemma Atkinson (Matt Crossick/PA)

She said: “There are so many things people are doing now. I was contacted by a company – they offered me free liposuction in return for some Instagram posts, and you think, ‘oh my god’, it was ridiculous.

“Obviously I didn’t do it, and I wouldn’t want to do that, but I just think: my niece is 13 and I’d hate for her to think she had to be a specific size or have Botox or have a specific lip shape just to please society.”

Gemma said she is “strict” in what she posts to her 238,000 Instagram followers, and only shares products that she genuinely uses to keep fit and healthy.

“There have been brands who have offered,” she said.

“I’ve been asked to do fitness DVDs in the past, but I train in the gym and I look this way from lifting weights at home – it’s not going to work for them.

“I would never do something just for the financial side of it if it wasn’t real, if it wasn’t something I did or believed in.”

She added: “My agent’s really good with stuff like that – I know there are some agents who say to clients, ‘it’s this amount, let’s just do it’.

“But I think if it’s not something you believe in or not something you’re passionate about, it’s not only conning the public, you’re conning yourself.”

Former Hollyoaks star Gemma is currently busy hosting Manchester’s Key 103 breakfast show, a daily programme between the hours of 6am and 10am, meaning she has had to take a step back from her Emmerdale duties for now.

She recently denied reports that she had quit the ITV soap, in which she has appeared as the feisty Carly Hope since 2015.

But she has said she would have to leave either the soap or the radio show some time in the future if she becomes too “exhausted” from doing both simultaneously when she returns to filming Emmerdale in the near future.

Key 103 hosts
Gemma Atkinson with Mike Toolan (left) and Matt Haslam (right) on Key 103 (handout/PA)

Gemma said: “I signed a new contract (with Emmerdale) in January to do this and (the radio show), so I’m not going anywhere for a bit.

“As long as (Emmerdale) is happy, I’m happy and Key are happy, I will try to do both for as long as I can.”

Gemma is joined by co-hosts Matt Haslam and Mike Toolan on the morning programme, for which she has to get out of bed at 4am every day to fit in a workout before starting work.

She said: “4am does sound really early but I go to bed about 9.30 or 10 in the week so I do get my six hours in, which is absolutely fine for me.”

:: Gemma appears weekdays on Key 103 weekdays from 6-10am.