Anton du Beke has hinted he feels guilty about his past behaviour as an impatient and ‘destructive’ dancer in his days preceding his Strictly Come Dancing fame.
The 55-year-old father-of-two – who is married to businesswoman Hannah Summers – has been demonstrating his fancy footwork since he was a 10-year-old boy and went on to find widespread fame on Strictly when the show debuted in 2004.
After being a contestant on the series over the past 18 seasons, Anton is this year taking a seat at the judges table as he replaces original judge Bruno Tonili.
Reflecting on his career over the years, Anton paints a somewhat monstrous picture of himself – claiming he was always impatient in his pursuit of dance floor victory, and laments the stress he would have put on his UK dance partner Erin Boag, 46, who he has danced with since 1997.
Opening up about his past to the Daily Mail, Anton said: “I was an absolute lunatic. In my competition days I was the polar opposite of the patient, charming person you see on Strictly. I was the least patient person you can imagine.”
He continued: “I wasn't charming. I was out of control, a bit destructive to myself, to my dance partner Erin, impatient to win. I wanted it all, and five minutes ago. I should apologise to Erin, really.”
Anton puts his angsty past down to the fact that he started his ballroom career later than many other contestants he faced as a teenager, and had an insatiable appetite to win, and find fame.
He said: “I wanted to be Fred Astaire but couldn't see how I'd get from a church hall in Sevenoaks, dancing a four step by the boys' toilets, to the silver screen.
“Everyone else on the competition circuit had started when they were three or four, and I was on the hurry-up. I was an outsider, never at the top table.”
Anton will be at the top table of Strictly this year, having been cast to replace 65-year-old Bruno who has been forced to abandon the BBC show as he is preferring instead to judge Dancing With The Stars in the USA.
While in the past Bruno has been able to jet between both series, the Covid pandemic has made this impossible.
And while the Italian star beamed in to join Strictly last year, casting his eye on contestants from across the pond, showmakers opted to instead replace him for the 2021 series – with Anton landing the job after stunning viewers as a guest judge for two episodes last year when Motsi Mabuse was forced to isolate at home due to Covid rules.
Anton featured on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch last week in which he looked forward to featuring on Strictly in his new capacity when the series returns to screens next month.
He said: "That is the double edge sword about it. The thing I love most is being the room… It is my favourite place in the whole world and I'm going to miss all of that part of Strictly Come Dancing.
"I feel a bit bereft thinking about it, and I'll probably get a bit emotional. But I won't miss getting voted off.
"It is the worst feeling in the world whilst watching everyone else have a great time. But at least I'm guaranteed to make the final."
