The professional dancer recently announced his plans to leave the hit BBC One dance show after 10 years
Gorka Marquez with his Strictly co-stars(Image: Gorka Marquez Instagram)
Fans have flooded Gorka Marquez with messages featuring the same sentiment as he marked the ‘last time’ he was on stage as part of Strictly Come Dancing.
The professional dancer recently announced his plans to leave the hit BBC One dance show after 10 years. The news came after Gorka stepped back from competing in Strictly’s 2025 series, instead returning to a judging role on the Spanish version of Strictly, Bailando con las Estrellas, a position he first took on in 2024.
Gorka made the announcement on Instagram at the end of April, saying he will “forever be thankful” for his time on the dancing competition, but it is time to “hang up my dance shoes”.
It made him the fifth pro to confirm their departure from the popular programme before the 2026 series gets underway later this year, with Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas also confirmed to have left Strictly in a major shake-up.
But before his official exit, Gorka joined Luba and a number of their fellow Strictly stars on the Strictly The Professionals tour, which headed to Salford’s Lowry last month, before finishing in Blackpool on Saturday (May 30).
Gorka has been on the road with his Strictly co-stars as he leaves the show after 10 years(Image: Gorka Marquez Instagram)
After returning home to Greater Manchester, where he lives with his fiancée Gemma Atkinson and their two children, Gorka reflected on the month that saw him say goodbye to Strictly fans on the road. Alongside a string of pictures of the moments between the time on stage, he wrote on Instagram: “May bits.A month of first and last times but a heart full of memories that will last forever.”
And it didn’t take fans long to flood the comments section with their messages. @alisend73 said: “Strictly won’t be the same without those Gorka eeps and abs. Looking forward to seeing your next adventure.” @nikkianne0608 echoed: “Strictly won’t be the same without you but wish you all the very best for a fabulous future! I will continue to watch your podcasts with the wonderful Gemma but also hope that you continue to do your own tour and workshops, until then enjoy your next chapter! Thanks for being so ace over the years.”
@chrissie6574 commented: “Congratulations Gorka. You were all incredible. A sheer joy from start to finish. Hope to see you dancing in the future.” @kimberley_jb9 wrote: “Special memories to keep!! Won’t be the same with out you on Strictly!!!” @nyealison added: “Will miss you on Strictly. Thank you for always stopping for a chat and pictures. Can’t wait to see what comes next.”