Strictly’s Gorka Marquez urged to ‘strip off’ by co-star to help boost ratings of spin-off
STRICTLY star Gorka Marquez was cheekily told to strip off behind the scenes of his big new TV gig.
The professional dancer, 33, has landed a dream role on the judging panel of the Spanish version of Strictly: Bailando con las Estrellas.
In a clip from his and fiancée Gemma Atkinson‘s new reality show, Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind The Lens on W, Gorka’s co-star Boris Izaguirre takes a liking to his outfit.
As he exits his dressing room in a sleeveless white suit decorated with pearls and the initials GM, Gorka is greeted by Boris, who asks: “What are you wearing or not wearing?”
After catching sight of the outfit, he exclaims: “Oh brilliant.
“Can I touch what kind of pearls you’re having?
“Is the G for Gemma or Gorka?”
Gorka replies: “Both.”
Boris then purrs: “You look great but you have to unbutton a little bit, I think. Later on. For the show, it helps us. For the ratings.”
Gorka raises a knowing eyebrow to the camera before retreating to his dressing room and saying: “l grew up watching him on telly and he’s so nice.”
The Spaniard opened up about his new role in an interview with OK! last month.
“It’s fun to be working in Spain,” he said. “This is my first TV job in Spain. It’s nice to be judging. I feel like Anton Du Beke because I know how it feels to be in that situation.
“I try to help them and be encouraging. The last thing you need is someone telling you how bad you are if they don’t tell you anything positive.”
When he announced the news on Instagram, Gorka said the show “had changed his whole life”.
Gorka, 33, has been waltzing across the dancefloor on the BBC‘s Strictly since 2016.
He has seen significant success with stars including the likes of Alexandra Burke, Maisie Smith and Helen Skelton.
They were all runners-up and he has also taken to the floor with the likes of Katie Piper, Katie McGlynn and Nikita Kanda.
AWAY FROM HOME
The downside to the show is that every time he is given a new celeb to train up, he has to spend significant time away from fiancée Gemma and their two young children: Mia, four, and son Thiago, 10 months.
Gemma told The Sun’s TV Mag: “When they said they wanted another series and we want six episodes, we were like: ‘Oh my God, that’s amazing.’
“And it feels like the right time to do it while I’m still on maternity and with Gorka’s Dancing With The Stars he’s home more than if
he does Strictly.”
She added: “He’s only away Friday afternoons to Sunday mornings, now is the time to do all of this stuff.
“When Gorka is back on tour and I’m back at work full-time, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”