ACTRESS Gemma Atkinson and footballer Marcus Bent paid a visit to Monkey World in Bovington to support its adoption campaign.

Former Hollyoaks star Gemma is famous for taking part in the ITV show I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and will appear in the Brit-flick Boogie Woogie to be released in August.

She and her boyfriend Marcus, 30, a Wigan Athletic footballer, contacted Monkey World last month after seeing Monkey Life - the Channel Five soap opera about the lives of the apes at the primate rescue centre. The couple visited the centre to officially adopt Bryan, one of the stars of Monkey Life series two.

Gemma, 23, said: "Bryan was rescued from Mexico last year where he was being trained as a beach photographer's prop.

"His teeth had been knocked out to stop him biting tourists, and he was abused. How can you resist his little face? He looks like the most mischievous so we picked him. We're going to spoil him rotten now."

She added: "It makes it that bit more personal when you get the opportunity to adopt one.

"You kind of feel you can have a bit more of a relationship with them and it's something I would advise anyone to do.

"It's fun too, you get a little friend and a certificate.

"You get to come down to the park and if you adopt a young one like we have done, you get to watch them grow."

The couple first visited Monkey World two weeks ago while they stayed in The Priory Hotel inWareham.

Marcus said they wanted to raise awareness of the centre's adoption campaign, which enables the park to rescue more monkeys and apes that have suffered abuse or neglect.

He added: "The photographer who used Bryan as a prop is still using Coco - an adult female chimpanzee.

"Adoption brings finance to the centre and we're trying to get her rescued as well."

Monkey World director Dr Alison Cronin said: "We are indebted to Gemma and Marcus for supporting our rescue work and adopting Bryan. We desperately want to rescue Coco and give her an adoptive chimpanzee family. We hope that with Gemma and Marcus' support here people will join us in our campaign to free Coco."