Strictly Come Dancing: Mum of Gorka Marquez's ex speaks of shock over Blackpool attack
THE mother of Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka Marquez’s ex-girlfriend has spoken of her shock at learning of his assault in Blackpool.
Araceli Castano’s pretty brunette daughter Irene Martin was the dance partner and girlfriend of the 26-year-old professional for four years before he joined the acclaimed Latin and ballroom dance troupe Burn the Floor in 2014.
He then went on to make his name on the popular BBC show.
The pair taught together at the dance school Araceli runs with her husband Juan in the city of Guadalajara 40 miles north-east of Madrid, as well as competing in dance competitions all over the world.
Related articles
Today Ms Castano spoke of her fondness for the man who nearly became her son-in-law and admitted the first thing she did after learning he had been beaten up by yobs in Blackpool was get on the phone to his dad Manolo.
She said: “When the news started coming out here in Spain I was obviously horrified.
“I’ve got a real soft spot for Gorka and I know him well because as well as being Irene’s dance partner and boyfriend for more than four years, he lived with us for most of that time so they could make their professional and personal relationship work.
“Manolo told me the attack was not as bad as was first thought and other than a bit of damage to one of his teeth, Gorka was fine, and that calmed me down.
He’s a really lovely person with an incredible talent
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
“He’s a really lovely person with an incredible talent.
“He likes to perfect everything. His view is that if you’re going to do something, you’ve got to do it well.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he’s become a TV star. His idol when he was younger was the Spanish dancer Toni Costa and he studied at his school in Valencia before coming to live in Guadalajara.
Gorka Marquez performs to Rick Astley's Cure
“I sometimes see the videos Gorka posts on social media and I can see he’s matured physically as well as a dancer.
“We speak occasionally and he came to our school the Christmas before last which was nice."
Gorka, originally from the northern Spanish city of Bilbao, reportedly had to undergo emergency dental surgery after having two of his teeth broken in an unprovoked attack in Blacklpool on Saturday night.
He was believed to have been heading to the Flamingo nightclub in the seaside town with co-stars Aljaz Skorjanec and Neil Jones after the successful filming of the Blackpool Tower Strictly special when the “random” attack took place.
Gorka, who had been paired with Eastenders star Tameka Empson on this year’s series and got engaged to Glaswegian singer, dancer and actress Lauren Sheridan this summer, assured fans he was “feeling better” in a tweet on Monday.
He said of the assault, which is expected to be investigated by police: “It was a bad experience but I’m feeling better.”
He also thanked fans for their “kind messages and support about Blackpool.”
Mrs Castano, herself a dancer, said: “I haven’t been able to speak to Gorka myself yet but his dad assures me the assault wasn't so bad and his son is doing fine.
“I know he’s loving the UK and has got a steady girlfriend there so I’m sure this won’t put him off.
“There’s been a lot of talk about Spaniards being targeted by racists in the UK after the Brexit vote but this was a one-off which apparently had nothing to do with that.”
Speaking of her daughter’s past professional and romantic relationship with the handsome Spaniard, she added: “They got to know each other at a dance competition in Majorca when Gorka was around 21 and just clicked.
"Irene’s 28 now so was a couple of years older.
“Soon after they started going out with each other. It often happens in the dance world because couples spend a lot of time together and dancing can be a very intimate thing.
“There wasn’t a single big thing that led to their break-up.
"I think the demands of competing at high level took its toll and they decided to call it a day shortly before they called time on their professional relationship.
Brendan reveals Gorka may step in for him this Saturday
“My daughter’s happily married now with a 20-month-old child and Gorka’s obviously happy with his new partner.
“I joke sometimes that he’s the son-in-law that got away but I’ve always been lucky in that respect and Irene’s with a lovely man now too.
“She and Gorka made a great dance couple and while they were together a wonderful couple off the dance floor.
“They practiced and taught ballroom dancing as well as other styles including Latin Rhythms.
