‘Emma Emma made my jo job really easy’
Strictly veteran Anton du Beke on the delights of dancing with Emma Barton – and life with his adorable twins
He’s been partnered with a host of stars over the years who have struggled with the routines – including
Ann Widdecombe and
Judy Murray – so Anton du Beke has relished his time with “natural dancer” Emma Barton.
The dad-of-two, who has been on the show for 16 years, says, “It’s been a different story for me this year. Emma’s been terrific and worked so hard – and she can do certain things really well. She’s had two enormous jobs – Strictly and EastEnders – and has barely slept. She’s everything you’d want a partner to be, which has made my job really easy. She was lovely to be with in the studio. I am so grateful to her.”
FAMILY TIME
And joking about how, in past series, fellow pro dancer Kevin Clifton has usually been paired with better dancers, he adds, “Now I know how Kevin feels!”
This series of Strictly has been full of drama, which began even before the first show. Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing was forced to drop out ahead of the new series due to injury, leaving former Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher to step into his shoes.
However, Anton, 53, hopes
Jamie, 31, will return to Strictly in 2020. He says, “Jamie was a genius signing – he’s a lovely boy, so I hope he does it next year, I really do. But Kelvin has been a delight on the show. He did a hell of a job with the samba – it’s so difficult, and he was amazing!”
The dancer became a father in 2017, when his wife Hannah Summers gave birth to their twins George and Henrietta, two.
“Being a dad is the best thing ever!” he reveals. “It’s horrible being away from them. When I’m not at home – in the
Strictly studio, or away touring – we do a lot of FaceTiming. The twins know that it’s me on TV now. They love dancing, and Hannah and I are always twirling around the kitchen with them.”
SANTA DU BEKE
And he’s looking forward to some downtime with his family. “This Christmas, I’ll be at home with them in Buckinghamshire. I can’t wait. It’s just immediate family on Christmas Day – and always a turkey dinner.
“I am ridiculous about giving presents,” he says. “I always get carried away, and now that I have children – it’s joyous. I love decorating the house with fairy lights and having Christmas trees – we will have about three or four scattered around the house. We always watch the film version of Scrooge every year. It’s wonderful!”