BURY glamour girl Gemma Atkinson has laughed off the furore over saucy posters of her starring in hit play Calendar Girls all around Manchester.

As revealed in the M.E.N., Manchester Council insisted that an extra layer of cakes were digitally added to the pictures of curvaceous Gemma.

But Gemma tells The Diary that she had warned theatre bosses she would need, to quote the movie, considerably bigger buns to cover her modesty.

Gemma laughs: “I suggested at the photoshoot they needed victoria sponges instead of currant buns! The buns were a bit too small.

“I did request larger ones, but they said it would be ok.

“It's all very tongue in cheek, like the show itself.”

The former Hollyoaks star has appeared in the West End run of the hugely successful stage play based on the real life story of Women's Institute members who posed for a saucy charity calendar.

But in that production she played the character of beautician Elaine, who did not have to strip off.

Now, producers have altered the scripts so that a younger actress can play the role of the calendar's “Miss September” Celia, paving the way for Gemma to take the part.

She says: “It's actually not that revealing, you don't really see anything at all, sorry to let people down!”

Calendar Girls is at The Lowry from February 9 – 20. For tickets call: 0870 787 5793.