Strictly's Gorka Marquez jokes 'I'll leave' as Gemma Atkinsons considers new addition

Gorka Marquez, the professional dancer, has humorously threatened to "leave" his partner Gemma Atkinson if she brings another new addition into their home. The couple, who first met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 and now share two children, recently added a goldendoodle named Benji to their family, following the loss of Gemma's older dogs, Norman and Ollie, last year.

However, on their Lost in Translation podcast, Gorka revealed that Benji's habit of jumping onto their bed during the night, disturbing his sleep and landing in "painful" places, had led him to request that Gemma make Benji sleep downstairs or off the bed. Despite this, Gemma expressed her desire to welcome another dog into their home and suggested that Gorka could sleep in another room if he wished.

Gorka, who recently returned from a tour with fellow Strictly pro Karen Hauer, said: "First week home, and Benji wasn't really jumping on the bed, and I slept very bad, because Benji kept me awake.

"I said, 'Gemma, We can't keep having this, Benji cannot keep sleeping on the bed', and she's like, 'Well you can go in the spare room'. So that's what's going to happen."

Gemma light-heartedly stated it's a case of "love me, love my dog". She further noted that "some couples" do sleep in separate rooms, adding it doesn't mean they "love each other any less"

Gorka, who is a father to Mia and Thiago with Gemma, recently shared an amusing anecdote about their dog taking his spot in bed when he went to check on their son during the night. Gemma quipped that the pooch was "living his best life" on their bed.

The former Hollyoaks star affectionately referred to Benji as "like a little shadow". She then teased: "Wait until we get another one."

In response, Gorka humorously retorted: "I'll leave then." Gemma added: "I would have four dogs if we could."

Despite the jesting, Gorka reassured fans that he does indeed love their dog. He stated: "I love the dog but he needs to go down. I do love him a lot but I am still reasonable, 'You are my dog, you are my pet, you sleep on the floor or downstairs'."

However, Gemma views the dog more as a "companion and best friend". She allows the dog to "crack on" and "do what he likes".

Gemma, a former model, was paired with Aljaz Skorjanec when she competed on Strictly in 2017. She was a runner-up alongside Alexandra Burke and Gorka, as well as Debbie McGee and Giovanni Pernice. The series was won by Joe McFadden and Katya Jones.