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Privacy NoticeStrictly Come Dancing has had its fair share of scandals this year, but for judge Anton Du Beke, his reputation is everything. The BBC One show has been rocked by allegations of abuse and bullying and, more recently, suffered its lowest viewer ratings over its 20-year history. But for Anton, who spent 16 years as a professional dancer on the show before joining Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood on the judging panel three years ago, pleasing the viewers is at the heart of everything. “For me, I always want to do it well, whatever I am doing,” he says. “Everything I have wanted to do is about performing, really. That is all I have ever wanted to do and everything has got to be great. Whatever it is I do, it has to be standalone good. That is massively important to me. Your reputation has to be worked towards and you never don’t work at it as the audience will see through it.”
Anton is a much-loved professional dancer turned judge on Strictly
Such is his love of performing that Anton, 58, has been busy this year, going on tour and taking part in a TV travel show with fellow Strictly star Giovanni Pernice. The Italian pro hasn’t returned to Strictly this autumn following an investigation into allegations made by his former dance partner Amanda Abbington. The BBC recently published its findings and issued an apology to Amanda. Her complaints of bullying and verbal harassment were upheld but there were no findings relating to physical aggression. Giovanni responded on Instagram saying he was “happy” that “none of the serious allegations have been upheld”. Earlier this summer, Giovanni worked with Anton on the travel show, Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures , which took them around Europe. Their Together UK stage tour then followed. And Anton has nothing but praise for his co-star, even commending him for becoming more comedic on their tour.
Anton is currently judging on the 20th series of Strictly alongside Craig, Motsi and Shirley
“If I am with Giovanni, he is very much about [being]the solo flyer [on stage],” Anton says. “We have got to be good as he has got really good at listening and now the whole thing works in a much more nuanced way, as he will do something funny and I will do something funny. It is now a much better sort of cohesive moment.” Anton is speaking at the Sevenoaks Literary Festival at the Ship Theatre in Sevenoaks, Kent, where he is promoting his new novel, A Dance For The King . But does he have plans to write more books (this is his ninth novel), one on his life and incredible career, perhaps? “An autobiography? Oh Christ. I did the first part… I don’t have to write about it again,” says Anton. “A memoir? I might do a memoir, if only so I can remember all the nice things I have been allowed to do over the years, as I have been very lucky in that regard. The problem is nothing lasts long enough, does it?”
Anton described his time with Bruce as “magical”
It would be a great shame if he didn’t write a story about his life as a performer, as he certainly has some good anecdotes to tell from his career. “Paul Chuckle. Brilliant,” he says. “We did a couple of routines [in panto] together. We did this carrot box and a hole. It is basically a willy gag but it is funny.” He also has many wonderful anecdotes about the late great Sir Bruce Forsyth, who died in 2017. “I became good friends with Brucie and it was just a magical time,” he says. “Brucie was the ultimate and I spent a lot of time with him. I was starstruck the first time I met him. That was the moment and the only moment. I mean, I have been in the studio with Beyoncé, for heaven’s sake, and Kylie Minogue and Michael Bublé. I have kissed Michael on the cheek and I have danced in front of Andrea Bocelli.
Anton has appeared on Strictly since 2004
“I have been really lucky, but I remember the first time I met Brucie. It was the very first launch show. He was a hero of mine and one of the reasons I did Strictly was because of Brucie. He was on it and I wanted to do the show with Brucie on it. I couldn’t speak. I remember [fellow pro dancer] Erin [Boag] looked at me and said, ‘What is wrong with you?’ and I couldn’t speak. I had nothing.” Anton, who has seven-year-old twins George and Henrietta with wife Hannah Summers, also has plenty of amusing stories to share about the celebs he’s been partnered with during his years on Strictly . “Ruth Langsford and Kate Garraway. Much maligned,” he jokes. “We had a bit of a tough time [with Kate]. I remember after a few weeks I felt she was a bit down in the dumps about the whole thing. I remember we walked out one night live on TV. We were in position after the VT. We were in the wings and they said, ‘Dancing the quickstep is Anton and Kate…’ And she said, ‘One thing, which foot do we start on?’
Anton reunited with his wife Hannah, children and Mum Conchita in Bilbao during his show with Giovanni
“Then one week with Ruth, we were like the 12th act. There were hundreds of them on the first show and it does go on for hours. They said it was our turn and Ruth goes, ‘Why don’t you go on your own? You know it better than me.’ Then we had the VT and she said, ‘I’m fine, you go on, on your own.’ Kai [Widdrington] and Gorka [Márquez] helped us carry her downstairs. We had a chaise longue and Ruth sat on that. As I go to the chair, Dave Arch [the show’s conductor] suddenly goes, ‘Good luck.’ I went [over] and looked at her longingly and I thrust my arms at her in a slightly pleading fashion and suddenly Dave gets up and tips her out of the chair!” Despite having had his fair share of inexperienced yet entertaining famous partners – former MP Ann Widdecombe for example – Anton says dance novices haven’t been the hardest thing he’s had to navigate.
Anton had a lot to do to make himself more ‘comfortable’ on the show
He confesses, he found “sexing” up performances was the one thing he found to be the most uncomfortable at first. “They started introducing new [dance] styles and we all got very suspicious,” he says. “We were all like, ‘What is this new stuff you wish us to do?’ It got all jazzy and we were OK with a bit of jazz and then it started to get a bit commercial and we all got a bit crumply. “We started doing stuff like [sexy moves and rubbing each other up and down]. We looked idiotic, if I am being honest. They wanted us to learn this in like five minutes. I found it really uncomfortable doing the commercial stuff early doors – later on, I became brilliant at it!”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnStrictly Come DancingAnton Du BekeCraig Revel HorwoodGiovanni PerniceKate GarrawayKylie MinogueRuth LangsfordShirley BallasSir Bruce ForsythAnn Widdecombe
