Gemma Atkinson is a proud advocate for the Cuddle Club, which sees the dogs at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary get some much-needed attention from doting members of the public.

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Gemma Atkinson had to stop herself from getting too emotional on social media today after hearing a moving story from one of her followers. The soap star, who has appeared in Emmerdale and Casualty, heard all about one fan’s recent devastating loss.

Gemma, 39, is the president of Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in Edenfield, where they hold a special service called the Cuddle Club. The club allows members of the public to cuddle and play with the sanctuary’s dogs to improve the well-being of all involved.

After arriving home from an adorable day of puppy cuddling, Gemma took to Instagram to share a heartbreaking story with her 1.9 million followers. The actress went on to speak about a lady who had recently lost her own pet.

She said: “Do you know what else is really nice about that Cuddle Club which I didn’t think about? A woman has messaged me to say they lost their dog last week.

“And she just longs to cuddle him. So if you’ve recently lost a dog… I didn’t even think of that… How lovely it would be.”

Gemma Atkinson is the president of Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in Edenfield (Image: INSTAGRAM)

Gemma looked emotional as she gathered herself, before continuing: “Bless her.

“I’m not even thinking [about that]. I’m not even going there. I’m making a coffee.”

In another video on her Instagram story, Gemma spoke more about what the Cuddle Club involves, explaining: “It’s essentially what it says on the tin.

“If you want to come and cuddle a dog, we’ve got some dogs that need a bit more confidence.

Gemma Atkinson is a big fan of the Cuddle Club (Image: INSTAGRAM)

“They’ve come from different kinds of backgrounds and some of them are a bit nervous around people.”

Gemma went on to describe how the sanctuary arranges playdates with their pubs and members of the public, calling it “free therapy”.

She also pointed out that, while the play time is great for the dogs, it can also encourage people to adopt and rehome them.

“Cuddle Club coming soon!” Gemma concluded cheerfully.