TV

Alexandra and Gorka said to be “at war” amid Gemma Atkinson affair rumours

They've apparently been having "full-blown screaming matches" in rehearsals

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Those rumours of a rift between Alexandra Burke and her professional dance partner Gorka Marquez just won’t go away.

Last month, the X Factor winner appeared on Lorraine to dismiss whispers that she was angry with the Spanish dancer for reportedly getting very close to her rival on the show Gemma Atkinson.

But a report in today’s Sun claims that Alexandra, 29, is now “at war” with Gorka over the alleged romance, with the pair involved in “full-blown screaming matches” in rehearsals.

Gorka, 27, told the newspaper: “She shouts more to me than I shout at her. She brings the beast out of me.”

And Alexandra added: “He’s scared of me. There was one time that he stopped mid-dance and I shouted and screamed at him, saying: ‘You’re meant to be a pro, don’t ever stop.’

“He was like: ‘Whooah! OK girl, I will never stop again.’”

So it sounds like any tension between the two might just propel them to greater heights – and seeing as they’re already one of the best acts on the show, that’s bad news for the rest of the contestants.

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However, it could all depend on how far that ‘romance’ between Gorka and Gemma goes.

It’s been reported that the Emmerdale actress, 32, was the only Strictly contestant to be invited to Gorka’s recent birthday meal.

And the pair have posed together in social-media pictures, adding fuel to those rumours.

But Alexandra insisted on Lorraine last month that the gossip doesn’t faze her.

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She said: “You literally can’t believe those kind of things. It’s all fun, and it’s a lot of love with every contestant on the show, and every pro too.

“My concentration is making sure me and Gorka are fully in tune with each other. We’re having so much fun at the moment, we won’t let anything get in the way.”

Alexandra and Gorka will be performing the Cha-Cha this week, while Gemma and Aljaz will dance the Salsa.

Let’s just hope we don’t see any murder on the dancefloor…


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor