Strictly Come Dancing stars Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez have been together for more than six years and share two children – but they’re in no rush to tie the knot
Gemma Atkinson has given an update on her relationship with long-term partner and Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka Márquez.
The couple, who first met during the 2017 series of Strictly Come Dancing, have been in a relationship for over six years and are parents to two children — daughter Mia, who arrived in 2019, and son Thiago, born in 2023.
While Gemma and Gorka weren’t dance partners on the programme, their romance developed away from the cameras, and they confirmed their relationship shortly after the series concluded.
They’ve since established themselves as one of Strictly’s most popular couples, frequently offering fans a window into their home life through social media. However, despite persistent questions from supporters about when they’ll tie the knot, the pair insist there’s no urgency to arrange an extravagant ceremony.
In a chat with Heat magazine about their future plans, the actress and radio host revealed: “We will be getting married. We’re working on whether to do it in England or Spain because we need to involve everyone as much as possible. But as Gorka said yesterday, the thought of planning a wedding — ugh!”
Reflecting on a recent discussion with a mate who’s currently juggling his own wedding arrangements, Gorka, 35, confessed the whole thing seemed rather daunting. “One of my best friends is getting married in June in Italy,” he said.
“I was sharing an apartment with him when I was on Strictly for the first couple of weeks filming the group numbers. Every day he was on the phone speaking and shouting in Italian. I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ He said, ‘Working.’ I was like, ‘Working on what, dancing?’ and he said, ‘No — the wedding.'”
“So he went to Italy for 24 hours, saw the venues, came back, and I said to him, ‘People keep asking us when we are going to get married, but after seeing you stressed and everything, I just don’t want to do it. I’m happy like this.'”
The 40-year-old former soap star admitted she’s not interested in a lavish ceremony, saying: “I don’t want a big fancy white wedding dress. I’ll happily go to a little office somewhere, just us two, sign the papers, then have a party.”
Gorka revealed he’d be equally content with a low-key affair. “I’m happy to buy each other a ring, get the paper, sign together, then we’ll fold it, give it to me — there we go,” he joked.
The couple have openly discussed the difficulties of being apart while their respective careers flourish. Gemma has moved from acting to hosting Hits Radio’s drivetime programme, while Gorka balances his Strictly duties with appearances on the Spanish version, Bailando Con Las Estrellas.