After a decade on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, Gorka Marquez has announced he’s leaving the show and shared that he’s currently experiencing pain from the intense dance rehearsals.
The 35-year-old professional dancer says training for the Strictly Pro Tour is incredibly demanding, comparing the eight-hour-a-day schedule to running an ultra marathon.
Gorka Marquez, who is engaged to Gemma Atkinson – his former dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing – opened up about his challenges in the latest episode of their podcast, Lost In Translation.
The Spanish performer revealed he’s in a lot of back pain after intense practice for his upcoming tour, which starts in Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, on Wednesday.
He told Gemma that dancing itself isn’t difficult, and it’s perfectly okay to enjoy it. However, dancing for eight hours straight every day is a completely different challenge.
Running is generally good for your health, but pushing yourself to extremes like ultramarathons can be very damaging. A 5K run, however, is perfectly safe.
‘Dancing for fun, it’s amazing for everybody. For your brain, for your body.
Dancing non-stop from nine in the morning until ten at night is incredibly demanding – it really hurts! But I absolutely love it, even though my back is aching. I especially love being on tour.
Shortly after announcing he’s leaving Strictly Come Dancing for good, Gorka Marquez revealed the intense and difficult training he endured on the show, finally resolving questions about his future with the program.
As a lifestyle expert, I’m hearing some surprising news about a popular show! It seems Gorka is the latest cast member to depart, and it’s part of a bigger shake-up the producers are doing before the 24th season. They’re really making some sweeping changes, and unfortunately, it means saying goodbye to some familiar faces.
He announced on Instagram on Tuesday that he’s leaving Strictly Come Dancing. He explained that because of scheduling issues between Strictly and the Spanish version of Dancing With The Stars last year, he had already reduced his professional commitments, and now feels it’s the right time to retire from the show completely.
‘I will always be incredibly grateful to Strictly and the BBC for everything.
Being on the show wasn’t just a job; it completely changed my life. Over the last decade, it let me turn my hobby into a career, meet the love of my life, start a family, and create friendships that will last forever.
‘For that, I will forever be thankful.
Even though I’m leaving the main competition, I’m excited to join the Strictly Pro Tour this week and remain part of the wonderful Strictly family.
It’s time to relax and enjoy watching others compete, and maybe even be a supportive judge with some high scores!
I’m so grateful for all the support and love you’ve shown me during this amazing experience. Keep enjoying life and dancing!
Giovanni Pernice, known as Gorka, is leaving Strictly Come Dancing, joining Luba Mushtuk, Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, and Michelle Tsiakkas as professional dancers who won’t be returning to the show.
It hasn’t been revealed who will replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing after they leave following the 2025 Christmas special. Show officials haven’t yet announced their replacements.
The dancer briefly stepped away from the show to serve as a judge on the Spanish version, Bailando Con Las Estrellas, for three weeks in 2025.
I was so thrilled to see Gorka on Strictly this season! It was a bit tricky at first – he was part of the ensemble for the first seven weeks because of another commitment. Then he had to go back to Spain for a month, but thankfully he came back to the show for week eleven, and I was so happy to have him back!
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always admired couples who find love in unexpected places! That’s exactly what happened with Gorka Márquez and Gemma Atkinson – they met on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ back in 2017. Gorka’s been a part of the ‘Strictly’ family for ten years, reaching the final three times, and their connection has blossomed into a beautiful life together. They even co-host a popular podcast and are loving parents to two young children – it’s wonderful to see them thrive both personally and professionally!
The BBC One show is getting a refresh, with producers seeking new hosts following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who have decided to leave after a long run.
The show appears to be prioritizing contestants with large social media followings, even if they aren’t as skilled dancers, in an effort to appeal to younger viewers.
Nadiya Bychkova, 36, seems to have been dropped from the show despite having 19,000 followers, while Dianne Buswell, also 36, who has a much larger following of 966,000, remains part of the cast.
Karen Hauer, one of the longest-serving dancers on Strictly, has a following of 9,000. In contrast, newcomer Alexis Warr, age 25, already boasts a much larger following of 190,000.
According to a source, ‘Strictly’ is constantly trying to grow its viewership, both by reaching more people overall and by appealing to a younger audience.
Okay, seriously, social media is EVERYTHING for getting more people obsessed with this show, and TikTok? It’s made for it! I mean, it’s all about the music and the dancing, and TikTok is where everyone goes for that! It’s just… perfect. I can’t even imagine this show without it now!
Being popular on TikTok isn’t essential for staying on the team, but it could be what helps them avoid being cut.
Sources say that Fleur East and Janette Manrara have also been let go from It Takes Two, the Strictly Come Dancing companion show.
Sources close to the show reveal that BBC Two’s weeknight program is facing a significant overhaul following recent controversies.
Janette, a former professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, became a host in 2021 after eight years as a performer. Pop singer Fleur joined the show in 2023, following a successful run to the final in 2022.
But now both stars are said to be in the firing line as executives push for a bold new direction.
According to a source, viewers will be shocked to see the show remain so dramatic, but those in charge are committed to making significant changes.
People are feeling insecure and there’s a strong push to start a new chapter after everything that’s happened recently.
The main goal is to start fresh by September and move the show away from the problems it’s faced recently.
Strictly Come Dancing has faced several scandals recently, including allegations of drug use and mistreatment of contestants by its professional dancers.
Both professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima have left the show. Graziano’s departure followed claims that he mistreated his dance partner, Zara McDermott. Meanwhile, Giovanni Pernice faced a BBC investigation regarding allegations of bullying made by his partner, Amanda Abbington, and some of these claims were confirmed.
There’s no indication that any of the new professional dancers joining Strictly after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left have done anything wrong.
The BBC said: ‘Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.’
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2026-04-29 11:05