You could forgive Gorka Marquez for pining for his Spanish hometown but actually, Manchester has become just as much as a home to him and he reckons the two places are not too dissimilar.
The Strictly Come Dancing star, from Bilbao, has been part of the hit BBC One show in 2016, quickly making him a face recognised by millions. However, his life truly changed during his second series in 2017 when he reached the final with Alexandra Burke and met his future wife Gemma Atkinson.
Following the end of the hit dance contest, the pair were once again together on the show's arena tour, after which they confirmed their relationship. Gorka has previously said the pair "became very good mates" before their romance took off and tearfully said in an episode of Strictly spin-off It Takes Two towards the end of last year: "Without Strictly I would never have Gemma. I think she's the best person in the world.”
READ MORE: Gemma Atkinson hides truth from daughter after grim garden discovery
He added: “She inspires me every day. She makes me a better man, a better person, a better person, better everything. I'm so grateful to have her and call her my fiancée," he added.
The couple have been pining for each other on social media as Gorka heads back to work on Strictly Come Dancing – The Professionals tour 2022 which begins in Salford at The Lowry on Thursday (April 28). Over the weekend, Gemma shared a picture to her millions of followers of her and her beau, writing: “Missing Gorks at home these spring nights. He left for the tour the day we landed back from Tenerife so it’s been face times with a cuppa the last two and a bit weeks.”
“Mia asked yesterday if she could walk to London to see him,” she added before having a little joke: “Excited to see the show next weekend but more excited to see him mid week, just for 2 days mind then I need my space.”
And Gorka was quick to reply in the comments, writing: “I miss you both so much.” Family life is very important to the pair since becoming parents to Mia, who turns three in July, and getting engaged last year on Valentine’s Day. In a recent podcast, Gemma revealed the show she’d love to do, SAS: Who Dares Wins, and that she has been asked to take part. However, it clashes with Gorka taking part in Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the year meaning it’s all about balance for the pair.
When asked about not going on Strictly’s own big arena tour at the start of the year and whether it was weird to watch as an audience member instead of being involved, Gorka told the Manchester Evening News : “No, not at all. Having a family, people ask me how difficult it is being away and to me now, it’s huge to have balance between work, which I love to do and is my passion, and also my family which is my everything and I want to spent time with them and make sure I give them the time to spend quality time together and do family things.
He added about what the last couple of years has taught him: “It’s important to appreciate time with family, with your friends and make the most of it because you never know when it’s going to go. I’m obviously very grateful to have work and going back on the road but at the same time, I want to spend time with my family. Be the fiance, be the dad, be the friend.”
But Gemma and Mia will be taking their seats when Gorka and his fellow Strictly stars - including Karen Hauer, Kai Widdrington, Dianne Buswell, and Nadiya Bychkova - when the show begins later this week before heading across the country.
“I love to perform everywhere but when I perform in Manchester, which is like my hometown now… I just love Manchester,” Gorka said. “I think it is the best city in the world. Everybody there is so welcoming and friendly and when they come to watch the show they are up for a night out. They’re very involved, giving us the energy. It’s amazing.”
And as we’ve already mentioned, living here is like a home from home for Gorka. “I love the city, I love the people… they’re just so friendly,” he said. “Where I’m from in Spain, it is very similar to Manchester even though you think it can’t be that cold or rainy but it is and from day one I moved to Manchester I felt like I was back at home. It’s my favourite place to be.”
It'll be the second time Mia has got to see her dad perform on stage after she joined her TV and radio star mum in the audience of his tour, Firedance, with co-star Karen when the pair stopped at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. During an interview on ITV’s Lorraine earlier this month, Gorka revealed that he almost cried on stage as he heard his daughter's voice from out in the audience.
“Mia came for the first time to watch Firedance and she absolutely loved it and I took her to watch the live show at the arena with Gemma when Strictly was on tour in January and again, she loved… she loves dancing and music. So they’ll come along and support me and hopefully, Mia doesn’t jump on the stage a want to dance.”
So does this mean she’ll be following in her dad’s footsteps? “We’ll see,” he said when we asked him. “She’s only two now and she loves dancing so whether she wants to dance or she doesn’t want to dance, I’ll support her whatever she decides but at the moment, she really likes music and performing.”
As for the show, Gorka, who is all signed up for Strictly 2022, tells us that fans can expect “joy” as the tour returns after two years away with some of the biggest routines from the Saturday night favourite as well as performances that give a nod to things that have inspired and their own backgrounds.
Strictly Come Dancing The Professionals UK Tour 2022 opens at Salford’s Lowry Theatre on April 28 before returning for two shows on Friday, April 29. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.
