Strictly Come Dancing's Gorka Marquez makes heartbreaking family admission
Strictly Come Dancing favourite Gorka Marquez has taken to social media to share a family update with his 700,000 Instagram followers
Gorka told his fans he was heartbroken
(Image: Instagram/Gorka Marquez)
Strictly Come Dancing's Gorka Marquez expressed his sorrow on social media with a touching family update. The professional dancer, who has been dazzling audiences since 2016, is a beloved figure on the show.
Engaged to Gemma Atkinson, the pair are parents to two children, Mia and Thiago. Gorka took to Instagram to inform his fans about the condition of their family dog, Benji, last month.
The Strictly favourite posted: "Many of you messaged asking how is Benji doing. Unfortunately he didn't get better so I had to take him back to the vets and leave him there to do scans and he ended up having surgery. He is doing well now and this evening he will be back home with us."
In an emotional moment, he shared a selfie with tears in his eyes, captioning it: "It breaks my heart seeing him like that and to leave him there..." accompanied by two tearful emojis.
Gorka and Gemma met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 and now have two children
(Image: Instagram/Gorka Marquez)
Following the poignant news, Gorka brightened the mood with a photo of his son Thiago, saying: "At least this little man makes me smile all morning" along with a red love heart emoji, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Last season, Gorka and his dance partner Dr Punam Krishan made it through to week six on the BBC series. The 34 year old dancer then went on to perform across the UK with fellow professional Karen Hauer.
Currently, Gorka is enjoying some downtime from his dance routines, spending quality time with Gemma and their children. The couple's romance blossomed when Gemma competed on the BBC dance programme in 2017.
Gorka Marquez has expressed his delight at being confirmed for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing, marking his tenth season on the show. He shared his excitement, saying: "STRICTLY 2025. Excited to be back for my 10th Series! Let the countdown begin. Ps: @bbcstrictly get those PVC trousers ordered in every colour."
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He will take to the dance floor alongside a stellar line-up of professional dancers including Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola.
In addition to his Strictly commitments, Gorka recently participated in the annual Soccer Aid match for UNICEF, playing for the World XI team that emerged victorious against England at a packed Old Trafford.
Reflecting on the triumph, Gorka said: "WHAT A NIGHT! ! 15 million pounds Rised for @socceraid @unicef_uk and playing football at Old Trafford along next to some incredible and talented and awesome humans. An experience that I'll never forget! THANK YOU TO everyone who came to watch support and donated."
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