Gorka Márquez (; born 4 September 1990) is a Spanish professional dancer, best known for appearing on the British dance show Strictly Come Dancing.
Early life Márquez began dancing at the age of 12, and in 2010 he represented Spain at the World Latin Championships, before reaching the semi-finals of the 2012 World DanceSport Federation World Cup. In 2014, Márquez joined the touring live dance show Burn the Floor as one of their leads, performing with the dance company all over the world.
Strictly Come Dancing In 2016, Márquez became a professional dancer on the BBC ballroom dancing show Strictly Come Dancing for its fourteenth series. He was partnered with EastEnders actress Tameka Empson, and they were eliminated in week three of the competition.
In 2017, Márquez returned in the show's fifteenth series. He was partnered with singer and former The X Factor winner, Alexandra Burke. They reached the final, finishing as joint runners-up. With Burke, Márquez broke the record for achieving the most tens in a single series with 32, surpassing Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse's previous record of 28 tens, and held it until the twenty-second series, when Burke and Marquez were topped by Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec, who achieved the new record of scoring 33 tens in a single series.
In 2018, he participated in the show's sixteenth series, where he was partnered with television presenter and campaigner Katie Piper. The couple were eliminated in week four of the competition, finishing in 13th place.
The following year, Márquez announced that he had been demoted from the main professional line-up, but explained that he would still participate in the weekly group dances.
In 2020, he returned as a professional for the show's eighteenth series, reaching the final with EastEnders actress Maisie Smith.
In 2021, Márquez returned in the show's nineteenth series, reaching week three with Coronation Street actress Katie McGlynn.
In 2022, he returned in the show's twentieth series, reaching the final with television presenter Helen Skelton.
In 2023, in the show's twenty-first series, he was partnered with Nikita Kanda and in week three the couple were second to be eliminated.
In 2024, in the show's twenty-second series, he was partnered with Punam Krishan and in week six the couple were fifth to be eliminated.
In 2025, in the show's twenty-third series, he wasn't partnered with a celebrity, because of his filming commitments with the Spanish version of the show, .
In April 2026, Márquez announced that he was leaving the show.
Highest and lowest scores Series Partner Place Average score14Tameka Empson14th27.715Alexandra Burke2nd36.416Katie Piper13th17.518Maisie Smith2nd36.419Katie McGlynn14th22.320Helen Skelton2nd 34.021Nikita Kanda14th19.022Dr. Punam Krishan11th22.8
Highest and lowest scores per dance DancePartnerHighestPartnerLowest American Smooth Alexandra Burke 40 Katie McGlynn 24 Argentine Tango 38 Helen Skelton 37 Cha-Cha-Cha 39 Dr. Punam Krishan 19 Charleston Nikita Kanda 18 Couple's Choice Maisie SmithHelen Skelton 40 Dr. Punam Krishan33Dance-a-thonAlexandra Burke7 Foxtrot Helen Skelton 32Dr. Punam Krishan 18 Jive Alexandra Burke 40 Katie Piper Paso Doble 36 13 Quickstep Alexandra BurkeHelen SkeltonMaisie Smith 39 Rumba Alexandra Burke 32 Salsa 40 Helen Skelton 32 Samba Maisie Smith 39 29 Showdance 40 37 TangoAlexandra Burke 35 Katie McGlynn 22 Viennese WaltzAlexandra BurkeMaisie Smith 39 Dr. Punam Krishan 21 Waltz Helen Skelton 35 Katie Piper 17 Tameka Empson is the only celebrity not to appear on this list.
Series 14: with Tameka Empson Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultHorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioli1Paso Doble / "Y Viva España"667726No elimination2Charleston / "Yes Sir, That's My Baby"777829Safe3Tango / "The Heat is On"677828Eliminated
Series 15: with Alexandra Burke
Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultHorwoodBussellBallasTonioli1Waltz / "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"566724No elimination2Paso Doble / "On the Floor"9999Safe3American Smooth / "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"888933Safe4 Jive / "Proud Mary"9101010Safe5 Samba / "Shape of You"788 -23Safe6 Tango / "Maneater"999835Safe7 Cha-cha-cha / "I've Got the Music in Me"910101039Safe8 Argentine Tango / "Mi Confesión"991010Safe9 Quickstep / "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)"9101010Safe10Rumba / "Halo"Paso Doble-a-thon / "España cañí"7Awarded878extra9points3239Bottom two11Charleston / "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"9101010Bottom two12Viennese Waltz / "Everybody Hurts"Salsa / "Finally"910101010101010Safe13American Smooth / "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"Showdance / "There's No Business Like Show Business"Jive / "Proud Mary"10910101010101010101010Runner-Up
Series 16: with Katie Piper
Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultHorwoodBussellBallasTonioli1Waltz / "When We Were Young"444517No elimination2Paso Doble / "Confident"243413Safe3Foxtrot / "City of Stars"556622Safe4Jive / "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"3555Eliminated
Series 18: with Maisie Smith
Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultHorwoodBallasMabuse1Samba / "Samba (Conga)"88824No elimination2Tango / "Midnight Sky"898Safe3American Smooth / "Into the Unknown"87924Safe4Cha-cha-cha / "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"78924Bottom two5Salsa / "Better When I'm Dancin'"99927 Bottom two6Quickstep / "When You're Smiling"9101029Safe7Jive / "Little Shop of Horrors"910928Safe8Jazz / "Gettin' Jiggy with It"Viennese Waltz / "A Thousand Years"1091010101029Safe9 Samba / "Samba (Conga)"Showdance / "We Need A Little Christmas"Quickstep / "When You're Smiling"910910101091010Runner-Up
Series 19: with Katie McGlynn Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultHorwoodMabuseBallasDu Beke1Tango / "Black Hole"655622No elimination2Jive / "Good 4 U"465621Bottom two3American Smooth / "Cruella de Vil"576624Eliminated
Series 20: with Helen Skelton Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultHorwoodMabuseBallasDu Beke1American Smooth / "You Send Me"676726No elimination2Cha-cha-cha / "Rain on Me"577827Safe3Viennese waltz / "Hopelessly Devoted to You"788831Safe4Paso Doble / "Tamacun"687829Safe5Charleston / "Barnacle Bill"8999Safe6Foxtrot / "Lil' Red Riding Hood"788932Safe7Jive / "Tightrope"9991037Safe8Salsa / "Despacito"888832Safe9Quickstep / "Valerie"910101039Safe10Samba / "Eso Beso"588829Safe11Couple's Choice / "Mein Herr"9101010Safe12Waltz / "Only One Road"Argentine Tango / "Here Comes the Rain Again"899109891035Safe13Jive / "Tightrope"Showdance / "Shine"Couple's Choice / "Mein Herr"98101010101091010101037Runner-up
Series 21: with Nikita Kanda Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultHorwoodMabuseBallasDu Beke1Waltz / "Run to You"355518No elimination2Charleston / "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"355518Bottom two3Jive / "Kids in America"465621Eliminated
Series 22: with Dr. Punam Krishan Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultHorwoodMabuseBallasDu Beke1Cha-cha-cha / "Love at First Sight"455519No elimination2Foxtrot / "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"454518Safe3Couple's choice / "Bole Chudiyan"898833Safe4Jive / "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)"4556Safe5Viennese waltz / "She's Always a Woman"465621Safe6Tango / "Sweet Dreams"6767Eliminated
Bailando con las Estrellas Marquez features on the Spanish version of Strictly Come Dancing which is called "Bailando con las Estrellas".
Since Season 2, he has been a judge on the show. Due to this, in 2025, he did not get a celebrity partner in the UK Strictly Come Dancing, due to priority of filming commitments in Spain.
Dance tours and other professional engagements In October 2025 Márquez announced he would be teaching & performing with Karen Hauer at Donahey's 2026 Dancing with The Stars Weekends.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special He danced with his partner, Gemma, for the 2019 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.
It was announced he would dance with Keisha Buchanan for the 2023 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.
He danced with Vogue Williams in the 2024 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special after her original partner Carlos Gu got injured.
Personal life Márquez got engaged to the British actress Gemma Atkinson on Valentine's Day 2021. Atkinson gave birth to a baby girl, Mia on 4 July 2019. On 19 July 2023, Atkinson announced she had given birth to their second child, a boy, Thiago Thomas.
In 2025 Márquez was a substitute, in the Rest of the World team, in the Soccer Aid for UNICEF game, who were victorious defeating England XI 5–4.
He is a supporter of Manchester United F. C.
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