'Strictly Come Dancing's Gorka Márquez had two teeth knocked out by a group of yobs just hours after the live show in Blackpool on Saturday (19.11.16).
Gorka Márquez and Janette Manrara
The 26-year-old professional dancer has been forced to have emergency surgery on his gnashers after he was pounced on and punched in the face numerous times in an "unprovoked and random" attack while heading to Flamingo nightclub in Blackpool with his co-stars Aljaz Skorjanec and Neil Jones after the programme had wrapped.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Gorka and a few of the other dancers were heading to a nightclub to let their hair down after another brilliant show. All of a sudden this group of local louts came out of nowhere. One of them punched Gorka in the face and broke two of his teeth. Gorka was sober, he doesn't drink.
"This was an entirely random and shocking attack on a group of friends simply trying to enjoy a night out. He wasn't angry, he was just more shaken by the event.
"They went straight back to the hotel to see if he needed urgent medical care before going back to London for dental surgery."
The handsome dancer and his partner Tameka Empson were eliminated from the competition just three weeks in, but he has continued to make appearances every week in the group performance and even trained and danced with Anastacia a few weeks ago when her partner Brendan Cole was struck down with a chest infection.
Gorka joined the remaining contestants in the seaside resort over the weekend for the show's Blackpool Tower special and partnered fellow professional Janette Manrara in a routine to Rick Astley's seminal 1987 hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up'.
Despite being battered by a group of yobs over the weekend, Gorka is expected to rejoin the group this week for training ahead of the show in London this weekend.
A representative said: "Gorka was sadly the victim of an unprovoked incident in Blackpool on Saturday night but he will be back in training this week and is looking forward to the group routine next weekend."
It's also believed he will partner Frankie Bridge - who came runner-up in 2014 - for the forthcoming 'Strictly Come Dancing' Christmas special.
Tagged in Anastacia Brendan Cole Frankie Bridge