Gorka Marquez will return to Strictly Come Dancing for the new series later this year, ending speculation that he was ready to quit the BBC show. However, just as his future has been confirmed, another pro dancer is walking away from the ballroom.
Gorka made it all the way to the Strictly final for the third time at the end of last year. Having previously battled for the Glitterball trophy alongside Alexandra Burke and Maisie Smith, Spanish dancer Gorka was firmly in contention for victory, after he and Helen Skelton made it to the final four, having never dropped into the bottom two to face the dreaded dance-off.
Gorka and Helen ended up being beaten by 2022 champions Hamza and Jowita in the final, with Gorka accused of looking 'like a bad loser' by some viewers after the result was announced. And, then when he turned down the Strictly live tour, with Helen instead being paired with Kai Widdrington, claims swirled that he was ready to quit.
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Gorka told fans 'not to believe' the reports and he has now been confirmed for Strictly 2023, alongside other returning pros like Jowita, Giovanni Pernice, Nancy Xu and Carlos Gu.
However, one dancer who won't be back is Cameron Lombard. Cameron, while never given a celebrity partner, has been part of the Strictly team for a number of years; dancing in the professional group numbers and on the live tours, but won't be back this year.
Confirming his exit, a BBC spokesperson said: "Cameron is a fantastic performer and we have loved working with him for the past two years on Strictly.
"He is currently pursuing other opportunities but will always be part of the family and our door will always be open to him in the future."
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