Strictly's Gorka Marquez issues rapid apology after brutal dig at Gemma Atkinson

Strictly Come Dancing's Gorka Marquez cheekily took a jab at his fiancee Gemma Atkinson on Strictly: It Takes Two.

Whilst chatting with this year's pairing partner, Dr Punam Krishan, and show host Fleur East, he quipped about his childrens dancing abilities: "Thiago is old enough to watch you on TV," said Fleur. Gorka cheekily responded, "You know what, he's got the moves and this might sound not good enough for Mia but I think he might have more rhythm than Mia. I think the boys in the family have the moves, not the girls, Sorry Gemma."

Dr Punam suggested that Gemma may be less than thrilled with the remark, to which Gorka wittily replied: "That's okay, I'm going to Glasgow," sending everyone into fits of laughter. Recently on the home front, Gorka let slip that he has a covert signal to connect with his daughter while shining on Strictly's stage. On the evening of the opening live show, 21 September, Gemma was supported by fans online as she corrupted an adorable clip of their daughter Mia rooting for daddy from home.

Gemma shared how Gorka subtly acknowledges Mia during his performances, all while she enjoyed the spectacle with Thiago, their son. As Gorka and Punam left the dance floor, they headed towards a set of stairs. As they neared the staircase, Gorka energetically waved at the camera, with Gemma explaining that this was his way of saying hello to Mia.

"He promised her a wave before they went up the stairs," Gemma shared with fans on Instagram, posting a video of Mia grinning at the TV. The little girl looked thrilled as she recognised her dad on screen. This heartwarming moment follows Gorka's candid revelation about the challenges of being away from Gemma and their kids while filming Strictly. He wrote a heartfelt social media post about missing his family, confessing it can make him feel like a "failure".

While he admitted feeling 'happiness and joy' for the start of another season of Strictly, he also confessed to having 'a feeling of sadness, guilt, for going away for however long it is'. He continued thoughtfully: "A feeling of letting them down for not being there, a sense of failure to them.."

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.