Strictly’s Gorka Marquez breaks down as he pays tribute to Gemma Aktinson while leaving her and their kids for weeks
STRICTLY’S Gorka Marquez broke down as he paid tribute to Gemma Aktinson while leaving her and their kids for five weeks.
Gorka, 33, was seen tearfully saying goodbye to his fiancée Gemma Atkinson, 39, and their two young children in order to spend time working away.
In a clip from their W reality show, Gemma & Gorka: Life Behind The Lens, the Spanish dancer is seen saying, “I was looking at the schedule, and I’m not going to be home for at least five weeks.
“I hate being away. I just feel… not guilty, but, you know, sometimes I go, ‘oh I’m very tired’, and then Gemma is like well, you know, I’ve been working the radio, doing other jobs and the two kids, you know.
“I just feel sorry that I’m not there helping. She’s the force of this house, without her this wouldn’t be running. It’s also that she understands and supports me. Without her I wouldn’t be able to do half of the things that I do.”
Gorka, who had filming commitments for Spain‘s version of the show, Bailando Con Las Estrellas, added: “It’s going to be hard because I’m going to miss them a lot.
“It was nice that we went away for a few weeks on holiday. But it also makes it harder because I spend the whole day with them, and from tomorrow I’m going to go away and not see them.
“It’s going to be hard because I’m going to miss them a lot. It was nice that we went away for a few weeks on holiday.
“But it also makes it harder because I spend the whole day with them, and from tomorrow I’m going to go away and not see them. So, yeah… I don’t even want to think about it.”
Hits Radio DJ Gemma previously opened up on feelings of “anxiety” while her man is away.
She told Metro: “Oh gosh, no! The only worry for me is where his partner is based.
“He could be doing a rumba with Miss World for all I care, as long as she lives up north and he can come and help me with the school run after rehearsals!
“I think if we were together all day, every day, 24/7, we’d probably hate it.
“It’s been like that for our whole relationship, so I guess it probably works because of that, we don’t know any different, really.”
Gemma and Gorka met during the 2017 series of the BBC One competition, when the northern lass was paired with Aljaz Skorjanec.
They share daughter Mia, aged four, and welcomed their son Thiago in July last year.
In April, the duo revealed their wedding was on hold.
It came shortly after the couple were said to be battling ‘tension’ due to Gorka’s work commitments.
Gemma took to her Instagram story to break her silence on the rumours and insisted that they were “not true”.
She responded to a fan who asked if she’d seen the speculation and said: “Yes we did see them stories. There was a few floating around weren’t there which is news to us.
“It is what it is isn’t it. Happens all the time dunnit. It’s not true.”
She continued: “I think it’s because it was made out he’s working away a lot. He goes away Friday afternoon and comes back Sunday mornings.
“He’s hardly bloomin’ overseas is he. Crikey it’s less than 48 hours if anything it gives me a bit of peace at weekends. No offence Gorks.”
Clarifying her remarks, she added: “Well he is overseas but you know what I mean.”
She recently told listeners of her radio show: “Who knows where he is? He is all over the shop,” during his time working in Spain.