The Strictly Come Dancing 2023 celebrity-pro partnerships are yet to be revealed – but Gemma Atkinson hopes her real-life partner Gorka Marquez will be paired with someone who’ll show him plenty of passion.
Gemma and Gorka are parents of two children following the arrival of baby son Thiago in July. The couple were already mum and dad to four-year-old daughter Mia before Thiago came along.
The telly fave and Spanish pro dancer met after Gemma was cast in Strictly in 2017, alongside Aljaž Škorjanec.
And it is due to her experiences with Aljaž – and how Helen Skelton performed with Gorka in 2022 – that has informed Gemma’s view on what Strictly partners need to dedicate to one another.
Gemma Atkinson on Gorka and Helen
Asked about the Strictly ‘curse’, Gorka – who finished as runner-up with Helen in 2022 – dismissed any notion of it existing.
“It’s a myth. That can happen everywhere in any job,” he told OK!.
I remember saying to Helen: ‘You’ve got to be passionate with Gorka, that’s part of the dance.’ I’m always rooting for them to have chemistry!
Gemma was similarly unbothered – and entirely relaxed about Gorka needing to strike up the right chemistry with whoever he dances with.
She explained: “I remember when I had to dance the rumba with Aljaž. Everyone said: ‘You have to look into his eyes and get close,’ and I was like: ‘Oh my God, this is awful!’ But the dance looked rubbish because I didn’t do it.”
Gemma then revealed a bit of a bombshell as she recalled how she insisted to Helen that she had to be “passionate with Gorka” during their routines.
Gemma added: “I remember saying to Helen: ‘You’ve got to be passionate with Gorka. That’s part of the dance.’ I’m always rooting for them to have chemistry! I think Gorka and I are very lucky in that we’re both understanding of each other’s jobs. We’re chilled.”
‘Mia loves Strictly’
Gemma also revealed how the couple’s firstborn adores her dad’s show. The tot is “obsessed” with it.
Devoted dad Gorka, meanwhile, joked there was one good reason for going away to rehearsals for the 2023 show – and that’s getting some sleep every night!
Read more: Gemma Atkinson drops baby bombshell as she addresses having more kids
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