Gorka Marquez makes stance clear on changes to BBC Strictly training methods amid ‘bullying’ row
Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka Marquez has revealed he has adapted his training methods for each celebrity partner, following recent bullying investigations on the BBC show.
The Spanish dancer, who was most recently partnered with Dr Punam Krishan, emphasised the importance of tailoring teaching approaches to different personalities and abilities.
“I change my training methods with every celebrity, every year. That’s because everybody is different,” Marquez told The Mirror.
Marquez compared his teaching approach to parenting different children, explaining: “It’s like if you have two children, the way that you educate one, the things that you did with one, aren’t going to work with the other one.”
“They might have different personalities, there are differences between a boy and a girl, the boy might want to throw everything around and the girl is more sensitive.”
The 34-year-old dancer stressed that being a good teacher means adapting to “the abilities and the necessities” of each student.
The comments follow a BBC investigation into allegations made against fellow Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice in 2024.
The probe examined 17 complaints made by actress Amanda Abbington, who quit the show after five weeks in 2023.
Six complaints were upheld, including some allegations of verbal bullying and harassment, though the most serious claims of physical aggression were not substantiated.
Professional dancer Graziano Di Prima also left the show in July 2024 following reports of misconduct with his celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
Marquez emphasised that professionals must prioritise making the show enjoyable for their celebrity partners.
“The most important thing is always to enjoy it and have fun. For me, that’s my number one priority,” he told the same publication.
“People who come and do Strictly, the celebrities can only do this show once.
“So let’s make sure that one experience is the best experience for them,” he explained.
“We can come back for another year and another year, but they don’t. We cannot forget that, we need to make it the best experience.”
Marquez dismissed concerns about long-term damage to Strictly’s popularity following recent controversies.
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“People enjoy the show, love the show, because it’s such a joyful show,” he told The Mirror.
The professional dancer is set to embark on his Speakeasy Tour with fellow Strictly star Karen Hauer across the UK from February 2025.