Overview

• Gorka Marquez will judge Spain's Bailando Con Las Estrellas and will not have a celebrity partner on Strictly in 2025, appearing instead in pre-recorded and ensemble numbers.
• His spokesperson disputes tabloid reports that he is 'relieved' to miss competing this year, saying he is pleased to remain involved alongside his Spanish commitments.
• Reports say his Strictly schedule includes ensemble appearances for the first seven weeks, a roughly month-long absence, and a return in week 11.
• The Metropolitan Police arrested a man on 22 August on suspicion of rape and non-consensual intimate image abuse in a joint inquiry with Hertfordshire Constabulary, and enquiries are ongoing.
• A BBC spokesperson said it would not be appropriate to comment on the active police investigation and stated there is nothing to suggest it is related to the current series, as an external law-firm-led probe into alleged drug use also continues.