Gorka Marquez will return to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom, after rumours started circulating that he had parted ways with the coveted BBC dancing competition.
The upcoming 21st saga of the widely-watched show has been thrown into turmoil as of recent, with bosses reportedly throwing ultimatums at judges. However, it appears as though the powers at Strictly were keen to keep a hold of Spaniard Gorka, reportedly convincing him to remain with the show.
The 32-year-old has been a part of Strictly since 2016, finishing a runner up three times. He and Alexandra Burke finished in 2017, in 2020 he narrowly missed out on the Glitterball Trophy with Masie Smith, then last year he and Helen Skelton were bested only by Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal.
Read more: Strictly's Helen Skelton caught up in ITV chaos as live link abandoned
The Mirror reports that there was speculation that Gorka was ready to throw in the towel having thrice missed out on glory, but now reports claim that Strictly bosses have ensured he continues to dance as one of the pros - with a show source telling all to The Sun.
The TV insider said: “There was no ill feeling between him and the bosses of Strictly, he simply felt like he’d been with the show for a long time and had never enjoyed a victory. So he’s spent the last four months mulling over his future and, despite the disappointment of defeat last year, is still in love with the show."
The source added: “Unlike other stars on the programme, he didn’t feel the need to have a drawn-out wrangle with the BBC over pay, and they offered him a deal which he was happy with.”
Reports initially came out of the woodwork in December that Gorka was ready to part ways with Strictly, with a source at the time saying: "He looked so devastated last week because he knew the final might be his last chance of taking home the Glitterball, which had eluded him twice before."
The source also said that Gorka had become an 'established figure' and a 'name in his own right' which could potentially allow him to chase other endeavours and opportunities.
At the time, they added: "It remains to be seen if producers will now offer him a deal enticing enough to sign up for next year's show."
Gorka meanwhile dismissed any speculation at the time, writing online: "Don’t believe it," alongside a winking emoji.
Fiancee Gemma Atkinson also hinted last month that the Spanish superstar would make a return to the BBC staple, revealing that he was planning rehearsals around their current second pregnancy. Talking to Fabulous, she said: "He is doing the Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals tour in May, then he’s booked off June and July [around when the baby is due] so we can be at home together.
"Then hopefully he’ll start the show again in August. He loves dancing and the whole Strictly family so much, but he’s wary of taking time away from his family. Being together when the baby is born means he can be fully focused on doing the show from August to Christmas.”
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