‘My Strictly confession’
Strictly’s Anton du Beke chats about the ups and downs of Strictly, dancing with his children and his latest book adventure
The delightful Anton Du Beke is having a ball on this year’s Strictly with his dance partner, EastEnders actress Emma Barton. And his huge army of fans are loving every minute.
Of course over the years the star’s Strictly journey has often been a challenging one but always top class entertainment with contestants as diverse as tennis coach Judy Murray and politician Ann Widdecombe. But while he has mastered the art of going with the flow, he confesses being voted off last year’s show after just one week with his partner Susannah Constantine was his toughest Strictly moment.
“I had spent a long time preparing for Strictly physically – then I left after one week! Being voted off is the worst. I hate it! I love the show and if the moment came when I wasn’t bothered, or hoping I’d get voted off, then
I’d really know I didn’t want to do it anymore. If they didn’t want me on the series anymore, I’d probably just turn up anyway!"
Since Brendan Cole left Strictly last year, he is now the only remaining original professional dancer. He says: “I missed Brendan last series but
I do feel honoured and proud to be the only one left. I love the fact I’m the last man standing.” While rehearsing and performing in Strictly is full on, Anton is still very much a devoted family man. Married to Hannah Summers, they are the proud parents of twins George and Henrietta, aged two-and-a-half: “When I’m not at home we do a lot of Face Timing. It’s the wonders of technology. The twins know that it's me on TV now,” he smiles. “Me and Hannah are always dancing around the kitchen; Hannah grabs one twin and I have the other. The kids love dancing.”
Late fatherhood suits Anton (53) and he lights up talking about his children. He agrees: “Oh yes, I must admit I wasn’t massively into children before I had my own but now, I think I must be the most besotted dad of all time. It’s the best thing in the whole wide world. I love when they are on the road with me and hate being away from them. I like to take them with me.
“Being a dad and husband has been life-changing and it’s been so lovely to have this side of my life and then Strictly too. It’s been an incredible time. The twins turned two in April and me and Hannah had our second wedding anniversary the same month.”
What’s the secret of their happiness? “We’re always having fun. Hannah’s terrific. She’s the great combination of being very clever, very beautiful and very funny,” he says, sounding smitten. "She gets the nature of my job and loves it. It’s wonderful. I had the great fortune to marry my favourite person in the world and I get to spend all my time with her. What more can you want in life?”
Away from the Strictly bubble, he has been keeping busy. Last year his first novel, One Enchanted Evening, became a bestseller and the sequel, Moonlight Over Mayfair, has just been published.
“It is set pre-war, and is the continuation of the story of the Buckingham Hotel where our hero, dancer Raymond de Guise, works in the ballroom,” he
‘I wasn’t massively into children before I had my own but now, I think I must be the most besotted dad of all time’
tells us. “It’s all the comings and goings in the hotel; the relationships and the dark secrets behind the characters. I love figuring out the back story, creating characters – I can have literally anyone walking through the door of the hotel. I’ve been thrilled by the reaction; people have been asking when the next one will be out – and here we are! I’m going to carry on doing them.”
Anton began dancing at ten, when he discovered his local dance school, the Holton School of Dancing in Sevenoaks, Kent, and started competitive dancing a few years later. After leaving school at 16 to follow an amateur dancing career, at 17 he decided to specialise in ballroom. While he danced during the evenings and at weekends, he had a day job as a salesman.
He says: “But I always had a dancing dream. I believe your future is not set and you can achieve anything if you focus on it. I have always been determined and I get that from my mum. She came over from Spain in the Fifties to be a nanny. That job fell through so she found something else to do, she grafted and made a life for herself and met my dad.”
Anton teamed up with Erin Boag, his dancing partner, in 1997. The pair will be back on the road again next year with their show, Dance Those Magical Musicals.
“Erin is one of my closest friends,” he says. I was maid of honour at her wedding! Peter, her husband, calls me ‘her other husband’ and our children play together, which is lovely.”
Anton still appears to be in great shape. He smiles: “I look, and feel good, but that’s probably because my twins are sleeping through the night!
“But I’ve been lucky with injuries over the years, and I continue to be lucky, touch wood. Of course, I ache now and again but nothing sustained. I look after myself and have a good team around me. I don’t drink or smoke and I eat well. I do all the things you should do to keep yourself healthy."
And what’s his favourite Strictly moment? “When I did my song and dance number Me and My Shadow with my hero, Brucie. That was a career highlight.”