Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka Marquez has spoken about how leaving the show has improved his family life with fiancée Gemma Atkinson, and hinted that a wedding could be on the horizon.
Gorka, 36, met Gemma, 41, on the 2017 series of Strictly, when both were partnered with other contestants — Gorka with singer Alexandra Burke and Gemma with Aljaz Skorjanec. The couple got engaged on Valentine's Day 2021 and have two children, Mia, seven, and three-year-old Thiago.
Stepping back from Strictly
In the five years since their engagement, the pair have welcomed a second child, launched a podcast called Lost In Translation, and Gorka has made a major career move. He left Strictly after 10 years to spend more time with his family and to focus on other parts of his dancing career, including judging on Spain's version of the show, Bailando Con Las Estrellas.
Addressing the benefits of stepping away from Strictly, Gorka told Heat magazine how liberating it was. He explained: "It's nice to have more time together with the children and with Gemma, instead of 'Hi, I'm going to work', or 'Hi, I'm going to the show' like passing ships."
Wedding hints and reservations
Asked whether he and Gemma would be exchanging vows soon, Gorka replied: "Maybe. Just keep waiting and we'll see."
This is not the first time the couple have addressed their long engagement. On an episode of their podcast, Gorka admitted: "I don't think I want to get married." Gemma added that she had reservations about officially tying the knot, saying: "Everyone I know who has got married has ended up getting divorced, apart from my sister."
Gorka provided insight into how they feel about their current relationship status, explaining: "We are fine like this, we have two children, marriage is just a document, for a legal thing. You see people together for 15, 20 years, they get married then divorced one year after."
While no date has been set, the couple have not ruled out a wedding entirely. Gemma suggested that if they did marry, it would be a smaller affair after attending a friend's wedding with around 140 guests. She explained: "You're essentially hosting the day. It's your wedding, but you are hosting everybody else. That's why when we do ours, it would need to be smaller!"
