Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal captain and one of the greatest footballers in history, once had a romance with Hollyoaks and Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson in 2007, long before his engagement to Georgina Rodriguez. The revelation has left fans surprised, as the 41-year-old football star is now a family man with six children.
Ronaldo and Atkinson's Low-Key Romance
Gemma Atkinson, 41, is best known for playing Lisa Hunter on Channel 4's Hollyoaks from 2001 to 2005 and later Carly Hope on ITV's Emmerdale from 2015 to 2017. She briefly reprised her Hollyoaks role in 2022. During Ronaldo's first stint at Manchester United, the two reportedly dated in 2007. Atkinson later shared details of their relationship on Hits Radio Manchester, describing their dates as remarkably understated despite his global fame.
"We went to my house, drank cups of tea and watched Only Fools And Horses," she admitted. "Genuinely! I don't know if he's into it now, but he seemed to enjoy it." She also revealed that she was offered substantial sums to discuss their relationship after they split, but she declined: "When we did split up, I got offered so much money to speak about him. And I didn't want that."
Atkinson's Life After Ronaldo
Gemma Atkinson is now happily engaged to professional dancer Gorka Márquez, 35, whom she met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017. The couple got engaged on Valentine's Day 2021 and have two children, Mia and Thiago. Atkinson also hosts the Gemma Atkinson and Mike Toolan Show on Hits Radio, runs her own beauty brand Gem and Tonic, has over 2 million Instagram followers, and co-hosts the podcast Lost In Translation with Gorka. Márquez recently confirmed his departure from Strictly after a decade on the show.
Ronaldo's Family with Georgina Rodriguez
Cristiano Ronaldo has been engaged to Georgina Rodriguez since August 2025. The couple met in 2016 when Rodriguez worked at a Gucci boutique in Madrid. They have six children together: Cristiano Jr. (16), twins Eva and Matteo (9), Alana (8), and twins Angel and Bella Esmeralda. Tragically, their son Angel passed away shortly after birth in April 2022. Georgina, born in Argentina and raised in Spain, is a model, trained dancer, businesswoman, and star of the Netflix docu-series "I Am Georgina." She has over 74 million Instagram followers, while Ronaldo remains the most-followed individual on the platform with 671 million followers.
