BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Gorka Marquez says 'everyone is looking at me more closely' after scandals

Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka Marquez has spoken out about the scandals which have rocked the BBC show this year, including those involving Giovanni Pernice and Graziano di Prima

Gorka Marquez has acknowledged that he's feeling the heat more than ever following recent controversies on Strictly Come Dancing.

Giovanni Pernice found himself at the centre of a scandal with Amanda Abbington levelling numerous charges against him. After a BBC probe, six out of 17 accusations were substantiated, however, Giovanni reportedly expressed relief at the dismissal of the more severe accusations.

In another twist, Graziano di Prima exited from the series acknowledging an incident during rehearsal when his celebrity partner Zara McDermott was kicked. He explained: "I didn't deliberately hurt anyone. I am not a monster. I am not an abusive man."

Appearing on Lorraine this morning, Gorka discussed the intense spotlight on the show. Host Lorraine Kelly questioned: "Have you felt the pressure of more scrutiny on the show? Because you know people are obsessed about this show so everything you do makes headlines."

Gorka responded: "You know, this year, maybe everybody is looking at you with more close eyes, but I feel every day is the same you know. This show is one of the biggest shows on television and everybody loves the show and wants to see what happens and I think, dancers and celebrities, they have a huge impact on everyone that watches it but for me, right now, we're just focusing on the dance. It's 20 years of the show, let's celebrate."

The past weekend saw Gorka stepping up to support his celebrity dance partner Dr Punam, who seemed visibly upset by the judges' comments, resulting in their score falling from a high of 33 to a mere 20 out of 40, reports the Express.

Gorka has stepped up to defend his dance partner, admitting that despite her not being a natural performer, what she achieves on stage is "incredible".

He said: "Obviously, she's not a dancer, she's not a performer, she's a GP. She doesn't do anything that has to do with performing in front of millions of people. So just to go out there and be on stage is incredible."

The star also opened up about the personal challenges he faces during the show, revealing the emotional toll of being away from his family while training in Glasgow with Dr Punam, which is a significant distance from his home in Manchester. He admitted he was "having a moment that sometimes we hide or keep for ourselves, especially being a man".

Gorka further shared his inner conflict, adding: "YES it is. But at the same time, I get a feeling of sadness, guilt, for going away for however long it is. A feeling of letting them down for not being there, a sense of failure to them."