Gorka Marquez announced he is leaving Strictly Come Dancing after 10 years with the BBC dance show but a source has said that a “painful moment” had the dancer wanting to quit years ago
Gorka Marquez reportedly wanted to leave Strictly Come Dancing years ago after a “painful moment”. The Spanish professional dancer announced on Tuesday (28 April) that he was walking away from the BBC show after 10 years.
Rumours had been circulating that Gorka would be among a swathe of pro dancers leaving Strictly this year for a while, and he confirmed the news on Instagram. In his statement, Gorka said: “I’ve decided that now is the time to hang up my dance shoes and say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing.
“I will always be incredibly grateful to Strictly and the BBC for everything. Being part of the show has been so much more than just a professional opportunity—over the past 10 years, it allowed me to build a career from my passion, find love, start a family, and make lifelong friends. For that, I will forever be thankful.
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He added: “Now it’s time to take a step back, enjoy the sidelines… and hopefully hold up a few paddles and give out some tens along the way. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and shared their love throughout this incredible journey.”
Speaking to The Sun, a source claimed that this was not the first time Gorka wanted to quit the show. They claimed that he initially wanted to quit in 2022 but was convinced to stay by BBC bosses “digging deep with a new deal”, as they knew he was a favourite with the audience.
According to the source, the pro dancers regularly got the “seven-year itch” to move on, but this was made worse by a “painful moment”. In 2022, he was partnered with Helen Skelton and reached the final, but the win went to Jowita Przystal and Hamza Yassin.
The source said: “It was a really painful moment when he didn’t win with Helen. He threw everything he could at winning that year, and it still wasn’t enough. It was heartbreaking for him.”
They added that, since then, he had “secretly struggled” to find “the perfect celebrity partner to match his high standards”. As such, his decision to leave the show was not a surprise to Strictly bosses.
Instead, the real shock was that he remained on the show without a dance partner last year. At the time, Gorka said he was too busy with his commitments as a judge on Dancing With The Stars Spain to commit full-time to Strictly.
The Mirror contacted the BBC and Gorka’s representatives for comment. The BBC said they had no comment other than what they said when Gorka released his statement announcing he was leaving.
They said: “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Gorka for his exceptional contribution to Strictly Come Dancing over the years. Since joining the show in 2016, Gorka has been a hugely popular member of the professional dancer line-up, known for his passion, charisma and exceptional choreography.
“As well as being part of our Strictly family, it’s been heartwarming to see him start his own family during his time with us and that journey reflects the same warmth, commitment and character he has always brought to the show.
“We are incredibly grateful for his dedication to the series over the years and are so proud to see him shining in his judging role on Bailando con las Estrellas in Spain. We wish him continued success and happiness in everything that’s to come.”
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