Strictly’s Alexandra Burke denies ‘heartbreaking’ Gorka Marquez rift rumours

ALEXANDRA BURKE has insisted she and Strictly dance partner Gorka Marquez have not fallen out, amid reports that he has been romancing fellow contestant Gemma Atkinson.

The X Factor star denied rumours of a feud, claiming the pair are having a ‘wonderful time’ getting to know each other’s bodies as they gear up to tango on Saturday night.

Speaking on ITV’s This Morning, she said: ‘There is no truth to any of it and… because we are all having such a wonderful time, and all the pros and celebs, we all get along like a little family — to read that is actually quite heartbreaking.

‘It’s hurtful to read things like that that aren’t true, but then you have to go,

‘It’s the nature of the beast and unfortunately these things happen.’

And Alexandra isn’t the only one issuing denials, with Gorka claiming that morning snaps taken of him and Gemma were taken as they shared a perfectly innocent ‘friends’ breakfast’.

He also claimed Alexandra was ‘the only woman in my life right now’.

‘The only time I have I spend it with her [Alexandra]; after that I don’t want to do anything, I just go home and rest for the next 10 hours,’ he said.

Alexandra also revealed that she completely froze in rehearsal, just hours before the live show that saw the pair bag an impressive 39 points for their cha cha cha.

‘That is why my reaction to our scores on Saturday [was like that]. That was real because I actually just forgot everything in the dress run and just stopped.

‘The band carried on, Gorka, of course, carried on, and I literally just stared at him for about eight counts or so, and I just stood there and he kept going and I was like, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry” and all I could do was just say sorry to him because I had no idea what I was doing.’

She’s now hoping the same won’t happen this Saturday when the couple perform their first Argentine tango, especially as rehearsals have been a bruising experience — literally.

‘He’s never thrown me around before, the way he’s about to do in this choreography,’ she said, ‘And we are now getting to know each other’s body weight together. We’ve never had to do that yet, so now we have the opportunity to display that side.’

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One on Saturday at 6.45pm

Author: Anna Thomson