Highlights
- Gorka Márquez has announced he is leaving Strictly Come Dancing after 10 years
- The dancer said it was time to “hang up my dance shoes”
- He said the show helped him build a career, find love and start a family
- He will continue appearing on the Strictly Pro Tour and on Spain’s Bailando con las Estrellas
Gorka Márquez is walking away from more than just a television show
After a decade on Strictly Come Dancing, Gorka Márquez has announced his departure from the BBC competition, describing it as the moment to “hang up my dance shoes”. While exits from long-running reality shows are common, Márquez’s farewell feels particularly personal because his time on Strictly shaped far more than his professional life.
In a message shared online, the Spanish dancer reflected on how the show became a turning point both on and off screen. What began as a career opportunity eventually gave him public recognition in the UK, lifelong friendships and a family life he had not expected when he first joined the programme.
The ballroom where his personal life changed forever
During his time on Strictly Come Dancing, Márquez met former contestant Gemma Atkinson, and their relationship later became one of the show’s most talked-about real-life success stories. The couple went on to build a family together, something Márquez acknowledged in his farewell statement as one of the most meaningful parts of his decade on the programme.
His time on Strictly Come Dancing also led him to Gemma Atkinson, with whom he later started a familyGetty Images
He said the show gave him far more than a platform to dance, allowing him to turn his passion into a career while also shaping major milestones in his personal life.
Why now felt like the right moment to leave
Márquez explained that his increasing commitments to Bailando con las Estrellas, where he has taken on a judging role, played a major role in his decision to step away. As his career continues to expand internationally, he said the timing felt right to begin a new chapter.
His departure also comes during a wider period of transition for Strictly Come Dancing, with fellow professionals Karen Hauer and Nadiya Bychkova also leaving, alongside presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
His Strictly chapter may be ending, but dance is not
Although he is leaving the BBC series, Márquez is not stepping away from dance altogether. He will continue to appear on the upcoming Strictly Pro Tour while remaining involved with Bailando con las Estrellas in Spain.
The announcement feels less like a goodbye to dance and more like the end of a chapter that gave him far more than a television career. For Márquez, the ballroom became the place where nearly every part of his life changed.
