Under the microscope
Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton du Beke, 50, answers our health quiz
CAN YOU RUN UP THE STAIRS? YES, I’ve always been pretty healthy and fit. Even when I’m not in Strictly, I’m in the gym several times a week, doing strength and conditioning work. I also play sports like tennis and golf.
GET YOUR FIVE-A-DAY? EASILY, I’m really good with fruit and veg. To be hyper-critical, I drink lots of tea and coffee with sugar, so if I was totally healthy, I’d ditch the sugar.
ANY VICES? PASTRIES, such as croissants or pain au raisin.
WORST ILLNESS OR INJURY? TOUCH wood, I’ve been lucky in the past ten years. Resting and listening to your body helps avoid injuries.
POP ANY PILLS? I DON’T take vitamins or supplements, although I’m curious as to whether they would benefit me. My friend, Mark Foster, (the British swimmer) swears by them and he’s the perfect specimen of health. As I get older, I may need a little bit of extra help.
COPE WELL WITH PAIN? I’M NOT a convert to the expression ‘good pain’. As far as I’m concerned, pain is pain and it’s supposed to be bad because it’s telling you something. So I always stop and get it checked out.
TRIED ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES? ONCE I had acupuncture for a pulled muscle, but I’m not convinced. Massage can be beneficial because if nothing else, it makes you feel good for half an hour. When I was doing dance competitions I had a terrific sports masseuse. It’s like getting a tune-up for your body so you’re ready for the battle.
EVER BEEN DEPRESSED? I CAN be prone to anxiety because I take things seriously, but it doesn’t verge on depression. I’m more of an optimist. Sometimes it can feel like the end of the world, when obviously it isn’t. I ask myself if this blip will matter in six months, and then realise that things aren’t as bad as I may think.
WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT? NOT much, despite being a new dad to four-month-old twins (a boy and a girl). I can get by on five or six hours. I’m more of a night person. Some people can retire at 10pm then ping out of bed bright-eyed, I need a gentle start.
HANGOVER CURE? I DON’T drink and haven’t done since I was about 18. I got absolutely steaming with my mates and thought ‘this is the worst experience I’ve had in my life’. I didn’t want to end up like my dad, who was an alcoholic and died aged 60.
BIGGEST PHOBIA? SPIDERS!
LIKE TO LIKE FOR EVER? ABSOLUTELY. There’s nothing interesting in death. I don’t want to be buried in a coffin. I’m going to have a tomb, so it’s almost like I’m sleeping heavily and I can just get up, walk out and scare people.