BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Gorka Marquez inundated with support over line-up
Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka Marquez has confirmed he will be returning to the BBC show in September after months of speculation.
Gorka Marquez has been showered with fan love after confirming his return to Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC finally put an end to the swirling rumours and revealed the line-up of dancers set to dazzle audiences come September. It was also confirmed that Giovanni Pernice, 33, is out of the lineup amidst contentious bullying allegations, which he has denied.
Yet, Gorka, also 33 and hailing from Spain, is gearing up for another spin on the dance floor, taking to Instagram to express his excitement. He shared a dapper photo of himself in a black suit, captioned: "Excited to be back for my 9th Series of @bbcstrictly and specially to celebrate 20 years of the best Show on TV. Keep Dancing.."
The announcement was met with a flurry of supportive messages. Fellow Strictly dancer Amy Dowden, who's triumphantly returning after her courageous fight with breast cancer, chimed in with a supportive "Yes G x."
Fans joined in the celebration, with comments like "Yesss so glad you're back xx" and "Wouldn't be the same without you.", reports the Mirror.
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However, not all could hide their disappointment over Giovanni's absence, as one comment read: "Always excited for it, but it won't be the same without Gio. Massive, massive loss for the show."
Strictly stalwart Giovanni Pernice has been stirring controversy behind the scenes, with rumours circulating of discontent among the show's cast and crew.
Giovanni's eight-year tenure on the show has taken a turn after his partner, Amanda Abbington, branded him "nasty" following allegations of "threatening and abusive" behaviour during training sessions, which Giovanni adamantly denies. The BBC initiated an internal investigation upon receiving complaints from other former dance partners, including Laura Whitmore.
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In an interview with The Mirror's Invite Only podcast, Giovanni acknowledged his perfectionism and attributed it to his strong desire to excel. He has been an integral part of the Strictly cast, achieving victory in series 19 with Rose Ayling-Ellis.
His first series saw him finish second alongside Georgia May Foote, followed by subsequent runner-up positions with Debbie McGee and Faye Tozer in series 15 and 16. However, series 20 proved less successful as he and Richie Anderson were eliminated early, finishing 14th.
The line-up for the upcoming September season of Strictly Come Dancing has been officially announced, with dancers Gorka and Amy making a return. They will be joined by an impressive roster including Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola.
