Gorka Marquez in 'pain' and 'back is in bits' from intense dancing after confirming Strictly departure
Gorka Marquez has revealed his gruelling training regime for the 30-date Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals tour, a day after he confirmed his departure from the BBC Latin and Ballroom dance show.
Gorka Marquez revealed his "back is in bits" from gruelling dance rehearsals after he announced his Strictly Come Dancing exit.
The 35-year-old star is struggling to perform for "eight hours a day" as part of the intense training regime for the 30-day Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals tour, which kicks off at the Stockton Globe, Stockton-on-Tees, on Wednesday (29.04.26).
Gorka opened up about his pain on the latest episode of his and 41-year-old fiancee Gemma Atkinson's Lost in Translation podcast, which dropped the day after the dancer announced his exit from the BBC's Latin and Ballroom dance competition after 10 years.
He told the Hollyoaks alum: "It's not hard to dance, it's hard to do eight hours a day dancing. There's a difference.
"Running is not bad for you, running ultra marathons is horrible for you, 5K for you is not bad. Dancing for fun is amazing for everybody. To learn for your brain, for your body.
"Dancing from nine in the morning to 10 in the night, full out, it's painful. It's b***** painful. My back is in bits, but I love to tour."
Gorka has quit Strictly Come Dancing - where he met Gemma in 2017, although they were not paired together - and he will miss the backstage banter.
He said: "My favourite part is the group numbers, the rehearsals with the professionals, hanging out, the coffee breaks, things like that. Backstage is the fun part."
Gorka joined the line-up of professionals on the Saturday night staple back in 2016, but did not have a celebrity partner last year as he was also juggling his commitments as a judge on Dancing with the Stars Spain.
And on Monday (29.04.26), the entertainer confirmed his "goodbye" to Strictly Come Dancing.
The hunk penned on Instagram: "After last year’s decision to step down as a full-time professional due to scheduling conflicts between Strictly and Dancing with the Stars Spain, I’ve decided that now is the time to hang up my dance shoes and say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing.
"I will always be incredibly grateful to Strictly and the BBC for everything.
"Being part of the show has been so much more than just a professional opportunity - over the past 10 years, it allowed me to build a career from my passion, find love, start a family, and make lifelong friends.
"For that, I will forever be thankful."
But Gorka reminded that fans can catch him in action on the Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals tour, alongside Julian Caillon, 30, Vito Coppola, 33, Neil Jones, 43, Luba Mushtuk, 36, Lauren Oakley, 35, Jowita Przystał, 31, Michelle Tsiakkas, 30, Alexis Warr, 25, Kai Widdrington, 30, and Nancy Xu, 34.
He added: "Although I’m stepping away from the dance floor, I can’t wait to dance on the Strictly Pro Tour starting this week and continue being part of this incredible family.
"Now it’s time to take a step back, enjoy the sidelines… and hopefully hold up a few paddles and give out some tens along the way."
Gorka ended his statement with a message of thanks to fans.
He concluded: "Thank you to everyone who has supported me and shared their love throughout this incredible journey.
"Keep dancing."
Gorka's departure from Strictly Come Dancing comes after his fellow professional dancers, Nancy, Luba, Michelle, Karen Hauer, 34, and Nadiya Bychkova, 36, were axed.
The brutal cast cull is part of a big shake-up of the programme, which also includes two yet-to-be-revealed new co-hosts, following the departure of Tess Daly, 57, and Claudia Winkleman, 54, at the end of the 2025 series in December.
On April 20, The Sun newspaper reported that nine celebrities had been invited to audition for the prestigious presenting gig.
It was claimed that former BBC Radio 2 star Zoe Ball, 55, ex-Big Brother host Emma Willis, 50, and This Morning star Alison Hammond, 51, attended.
They are believed to have been joined by Celebrity Gogglebox alum Rylan Clark, 37, The One Show presenter Alex Jones, 49, and 65-year-old The Chase presenter Bradley Walsh.
As well as comedian Tom Allen, 42, RuPaul's Drag Race UK alum La Voix, 46, and 42-year-old The Apprentice: Unfinished Business host Angela Scanlon.
