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Strictly: Gorka Márquez discusses judging in Spain
Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka Marquez caused an on-air walk-off after delivering a blunt critique of a celebrity.
The pro-dancer has revealed that he caused a stir in his new job on Spain’s Bailando Con Las Estrellas, the Spanish version of Strictly.
During a segment on It Takes Two, he appeared for an interview with fellow Strictly pro Kai Widdrington, 29, who recounted Marquez's dramatic experience on the Spanish dance show.
Widdrington explained Marquez's role on the international panel, saying: “Earlier this year, Spain relaunched Bailando Con Las Estrellas. It is hosted by Argentinian model Valeria Mazza and one of Spain’s well-known presenters, Jesús Vázquez.
"There are not three, not four, but five judges, including Blanca Li, journalist and writer Boris Izaguire, director of musicals Julia Gomez Cora, Antonia Dell'ate, and the fifth judge, I think you may recognise – it’s our very own Gorka Marquez.”
Gorka Marquez's TV job away from Strictly Come Dancing sees him even harsher (Image: BBC)
The clash unfolded after Spanish star Athenea performed with her partner, only to be met with Marquez’s scathing feedback.
He awarded the pair a mere two out of 10 and, as shown in a clip shared with Strictly fans, bluntly told her: “Where do I start? I’m a little speechless, and not because it was good. It’s more bad than good.”
According to Marquez, his comments didn’t sit well with the contestant, whom he described as a “strong personality” with little tolerance for criticism.
“She got very upset about it and said, ‘I don’t need this, I’m leaving,’” Marquez explained. “They were like, ‘Where are you going?’ and she said, ‘I am leaving,’ and then she left.” Unlike the UK’s Strictly, Bailando Con Las Estrellas operates with unique challenges.
He told Kai that he's a judge on the Spanish version of the dance series (Image: Getty)
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Marquez shared that the contestants don’t know their performance order until moments before going on stage: “When it comes to the couples, we don’t know which order we’ll dance in, so on the table there’s an envelope, and she opens it and says, ‘Next one will be.’ Then, you have the time of the VT to get ready to dance,” he added.
"Then the other thing is the way they score." Gorka also opened up about his experience on the show, saying: "I absolutely love it, I learned a lot that I can take with me as a professional now and to help the celebrities.
"I know what the judges want to see," before highlighting the differences between the UK and Spanish versions.
Speaking fondly of his experience, Gorka expressed: "It was so special to go back to my home country and be part of a show that has given me so much here in this country. Without Strictly, I wouldn't be who I am, and I wouldn't have my family."
Viewers were taken aback upon discovering Gorka's judging stint in Spain, with one fan commenting on social media: "Gorka's a judge in Spain? Why did I not know that? #ItTakesTwo."
Strictly week six saw the celebrity competitors and their professional partners take to the stage for a special Halloween-themed performance.
This included Dr Punam Krishnan and Gorka who danced a spooky Tango to Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics while dressed as pirates.
Unfortunately, the TV doctor’s skill failed to impress the judges as the duo received 26 points and were voted off the show.
English (US) ·