Strictly Star Suffers Dental Injury After Assault in Blackpool
One of the Strictly Come Dancing professional dancing stars has suffered significant dental injuries following an assault in Blackpool.
Gorka Marquez, who was partnered with EastEnders actress Tameka Empson, was attacked by a group of youths after performing the show dance on Saturday night. Mr Marquez, 26, was walking to one of the town’s nightclubs when he was assaulted. Reports suggest that he had two of his front teeth knocked out.
The Strictly dancers were in Blackpool with their celebrity partners as a one-off special, which is dubbed the highlight of the series. Blackpool has a long history of ballroom dancing and the Tower Ballroom is one of the most famous locations on the circuit.
A spokesperson for the BBC confirmed that Mr Marquez had been injured in an unprovoked attack on Saturday night, but insisted that the determined dancer will be back in training ready for perform in next week’s group dance. A friend stated that he is an incredibly “passive guy” and would never initiate violence.
The incident mars what was a spectacular night in the ballroom. As the series approaches the final stages, the competition is getting fierce and the scores are increasing week on week. Sunday night saw the departure of Olympic gold medalist Greg Rutherford, who lost out to gymnast Claudia Fragapane in the dance-off.
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