Former Strictly star Gorka Marquez was moved to tears when his young daughter left him a heartwarming message. The 35-year-old professional dancer became emotional after Gemma Atkinson showed him the video clip.

In the video, Mia, aged six, expressed her admiration for her father’s best qualities as they prepared to celebrate Father’s Day. Mia listed five traits she loves about her dad, mentioning that her three-year-old brother Thiago would concur with her sentiments.

Expressing her feelings, Mia said, “Hi Papa. Happy Father’s Day. We love you, Mia, and Diego,” adding humorously, “not Mummy.” She then proceeded to praise her dad, stating, “Number one, you’re an amazing dad. Number two, you’re super. Number three, you do smelly trumps. Very smelly. Number four, you teach us. Number five, you’re helpful, and that’s it. And you know, Thiago will think everything I think because he’s my brother and you’re his dad. But also because you’re super, and also because he agrees with everything I say. Bye.”

As Gorka wiped away a tear, Gemma revealed that she recorded Mia’s message while he was asleep. “I was doing that the other morning,” she shared with him.

Gemma concluded by wishing all dads a Happy Father’s Day on Sunday, hoping they would be showered with love and appreciation.

Meanwhile, Gorka announced his departure from the Strictly team after being part of the show for a decade. In April, he disclosed his decision to step away from the BBC show, mentioning that he felt it was the right time for a change.

On his recent podcast, Gorka humorously mentioned what he won’t miss about the show, joking about his hair growth and relief from back pain. His exit aligns with other professional departures from Strictly, including Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas, as well as the upcoming absence of presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman for the next series.