Yahoo News Gorka Marquez issues smiling apology to Gemma Atkinson after her absence joke
Gorka Marquez had a cheeky smile on his face as he issued an apology to his fiancee Gemma Atkinson while live on TV. The Strictly Come Dancing star appeared on Loose Women on Friday (April 19) alongside some of his dancing co-stars.
Gorka, Nancy Xu and Graziano Di Prima joined the ITV lunchtime panel show to chat about the upcoming Strictly Come Dancing The Professionals tour. The Strictly Come Dancing The Professionals tour kicks off on May 1 and the 36-date tour will include two nights in Greater Manchester.
Alongside stops in London, Birmingham, Blackpool, Cardiff and Glasgow, the show, which marks the largest line-up to date, will arrive at the Lyric Theatre in Salford on May 14 and 15.
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As well as Gorka, Nancy and Graziano, the BBC One dance contest's other talented professional dancers taking part are Karen Hauer, Dianne Buswell, Carlos Gu, Vito Coppola, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystal, Neil Jones, Michelle Tsiakkos and Luba Mushtuk.
But during the interview, panellist Judi Love couldn't help but ask Gorka, 33, about how he is juggling being a "superstar" daddy and touring the country, to which he replied, laughing: "Tiring."
But the Spanish-born dancer highlighted how Gemma would be more tired than him due to holding the fort with their two children Mia, four, and nine-month-old Thiago at home.
Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha went on suggest that Gorka must be excited to go on tour and "spread out on the bed" while on a break from his father duties, which sparked laughter before he said: "People always say, 'it must be hard' and I'm like, 'it is, but I get my full night's sleep."
He then added: "Sorry Gemma'." Also addressing the distance, he continued: "She messages like, 'when are you going to be back?' And I'm like, 'hmmm, six weeks'."
It comes after Gemma also joked about their time apart during her return to Hits Radio earlier this week. . During her return to the drivetime slot, which starts weekdays at 4pm, co-host Mike Toolan asked Gemma how she was coping with the two children with Gorka heading into rehearsals before hitting the road with the Strictly.
Gemma said: "He’s away for five weeks now who knows where, he’s all over the shop. It is tough and it isn’t - it takes a village they say with kids and I’m very fortunate that me mum and me sister are very close by. But it’s all me and Gorka have known, so sometimes it is easier for me to get into the routine with the children whilst he’s not here and then he comes back and ruins the routine."
She joked: "But he’s nice to have around the house! Gorka is a fantastic chef and really good in the kitchen so the hardest thing is I have to make me own meals now which is awful isn’t it?!"
Bury-born Gemma added: "And the school run is manic because I have to get Thiago sorted and if he does a poonami I have to deal with it now whereas Gorka could step in while I sorted Mia. So, I feel like I need to be an octopus but it's fine it’s only two!"
