Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- Gemma Oaten is a British-born actress well-known for her role in Emmerdale where she played Rachel Breckle, and for her battles with anorexia.
- She is also known for being quite unlucky in her romantic relationships and has been called a home-wrecker by some.
- Gemma spends much time on causes close to her including mental health awareness and some prostate cancer charities including Prostate Cancer UK.
Early Life and Childhood :
- Gemma was born in Hull, England on May 8, 1984.
- Diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at age ten, Gemma would continue to struggle with the disorder for thirteen years.
- Her lowest weight was just over 28kg at which point her parents had her committed to a children’s psychiatric facility, though Gemma remembers that very little was done to treat the underlying causes of her weight-loss.
- Because of her eating disorder, Oaten nearly died four times
- Growing up Gemma was a tomboy, very much enjoying sports and other outdoor activities, but bullying, which also contributed to her eating disorder, later made such activities unpleasant.
Personal Life, Parents and Family Details :
- Gemma has struggled with anorexia nervosa but managed to gain control over her disorder in her twenties after a close friend committed suicide.
- This fuelled a realisation that she was slowly killing herself and drove her to overcome her unhealthy eating and self-image problems.
- She has been equally unlucky in love, and with several of her relationships with men from recently ended relationships has been labelled a home-wrecker in some circles.
Career, Job, Salary and Net Worth :
- Gemma has worked in several different occupations before becoming and actress, which included being a cleaner and a shop assistant.
- Played the role of Rachel Breckle in Emmerdale for four years. In Emmerdale her in-series sister was played by Kelli Hollis.
- Gemma has also appeared in shows like Doctors, Casualty, Rise of the Footsoldier 3 and Holby City and also has a role in the unreleased movie Made You Look. Gemma is also a producer in that project.
- She was nominated as Best Newcomer for 2012 for the British Soap Awards and the TV Quick Awards, UK.
Fun Facts, Height and Trivia :
- After Gemma’s struggles with an eating disorder her mother, created the charity SEED.
- Gemma is a skilled singer. She is a mezzo-soprano.
- Played a part in the Andrew Llyod Weber production of Evita when she was nine.
- Her brother Chris Charles is a well-known rugby player.
- As of 2018, Gemma has over 85,000 Twitter (now called X) followers and over 13,000 Instagram followers.
- In 2011, her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer and he suffered a relapse in 2017.
- Gemma and her father took part in the March for Men that took place in Leeds 2017. This charitable fund-raiser is for sufferers of prostate cancer.
- Her birthsign is Taurus.
- She is a close friend of her Emmerdale co-actor Alicia Eyo.