Gemma Atkinson says daughter loves joining her in the gym and slams critics

Gemma Atkinson tells how her mini-me ­daughter loves spending time with her in the gym – and even has her own dumbbells, protein shaker and sweatband.

One-year-old Mia thinks it is great fun playing around with fitness ­equipment and using her own toy set, she says.

Gemma added: “She does love being in the gym. Many a time, Mia will sit in her pram playing while I’m training.

“She’s just started to walk, so it’s a bit more difficult as she’s learned to pull herself up with the little dumbbells we’ve got and she loves playing with barbells.

“My stepbrother bought her a kit with a tiny little protein shaker, dumbbell and a sweatband, now she’s got her weights lined up in the gym.”

Gemma hopes Mia will grow up to be a Thai boxer, but she admits dancer boyfriend Gorka, 30, who is gearing up for the new series of Strictly, has other ideas.

“Me and Gorka joke, ­because he says ‘she’s going to be a dancer,’ and I say, ‘no she’s going to be a Thai boxer’. She loves music, she loves dancing, but does love being in the gym as well.”

But the 35-year-old actress was forced to defend herself last week after working out in her home gym while ­14-month-old Mia watched.

An Instagram video of herself doing a session, while Mia gave her high fives in between exercises attracted criticism on the social media site.

Some fans voiced concerns at her being so close to the heavy equipment, but Gemma said: “To those who messaged giving me grief because Mia’s stood near a fan-assisted bike in the gym while I’m supervising. Don’t worry.”

And she claimed Mia is just as likely to hurt herself in the garden.

Gemma has been a fitness fanatic since her early 20s when her ex, footballer Marcus Bent, got her into the gym. Before then, she said she loved slobbing under a duvet on the sofa eating pic ’n’ mix.

And she has already banned biscuits and juice from Mia’s diet, saying: “If Mia’s being naughty, sometimes I think, ‘If I give her a biscuit, she’ll shut up.’

“But then I go, ‘No! I’m not dealing with her emotion via food because it’s going to get worse and worse and worse.’

“She’s not had any juice yet, she loves water. I don’t want her addicted.”