Gorka Márquez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gorka Márquez
Márquez in Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2025
Born	(1990-09-04) 4 September 1990 (age 34) Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Known for	Strictly Come Dancing
Partner(s)	Gemma Atkinson
Children	2

Gorka Márquez is a professional dancer from Spain. He is very well-known for being one of the professional dancers on the popular British TV show Strictly Come Dancing. He was born on September 4, 1990.

Early Life and Dance Journey

Gorka Márquez started dancing when he was 12 years old. He quickly became very good! In 2010, he represented Spain in the World Latin Championships. Two years later, in 2012, he made it to the semi-finals of the World DanceSport Federation World Cup.

In 2014, Gorka joined a famous live dance show called Burn the Floor. He was one of the main dancers and traveled all over the world performing with the group.

Dancing on Strictly Come Dancing

In 2016, Gorka Márquez joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer. This is a BBC show where celebrities learn to dance with professional partners.

First Appearances

• Series 14 (2016): Gorka's first partner was actress Tameka Empson. They were eliminated in week three.
• Series 15 (2017): He returned and danced with singer Alexandra Burke. They did incredibly well, reaching the final and finishing as runners-up! They even broke a record by getting 32 perfect scores (tens) in one series. This record was later broken in 2024.
• Series 16 (2018): Gorka's partner was TV presenter Katie Piper. They left the competition in week four.

Group Dances and Return to Partnering

In 2019, Gorka announced that he would still be part of Strictly but would mainly perform in the group dances, not with a celebrity partner.

However, he returned as a main professional dancer in 2020.

• Series 18 (2020): He partnered with actress Maisie Smith. They danced their way to the final and also finished as runners-up!
• Series 19 (2021): Gorka danced with actress Katie McGlynn. They were eliminated in week three.
• Series 20 (2022): He reached the final again with TV presenter Helen Skelton, finishing as runners-up for the third time.
• Series 21 (2023): Gorka was partnered with Nikita Kanda. They were the second couple to leave the show in week three.
• Series 22 (2024): His partner was Dr. Punam Krishan. They were eliminated in week six.

Top and Bottom Scores

Gorka has had many amazing dances and some challenging ones. Here's a look at his highest and lowest average scores with his partners:

Best and Worst Dance Scores

Gorka has achieved perfect 40 scores with his partners for dances like the American Smooth, Jive, Couple's Choice, and Salsa. His lowest scores were 13 for a Paso Doble with Katie Piper and 17 for a Waltz with her.

Other Dance Work

Gorka also performs in dance tours. In August 2023, he announced he would be teaching and performing with fellow professional dancer Karen Hauer at special "Dancing with The Stars Weekends" in 2024.

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Specials

Gorka has also appeared in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special shows:

• In 2019, he danced with his partner, Gemma Atkinson.
• In 2023, he danced with singer Keisha Buchanan.

Personal Life

Gorka Márquez is engaged to British actress Gemma Atkinson. They got engaged on Valentine's Day in 2021. They have two children: a daughter named Mia, born on July 4, 2019, and a son named Thiago, born on July 19, 2023.

In 2025, Gorka also played in the Soccer Aid for UNICEF charity football game. He was a substitute for the Rest of the World team, which won against England XI with a score of 5–4.

He is a big fan of the football team Manchester United F. C..

See also

In Spanish: Gorka Márquez para niños