In 2004 Anton du Beke danced onto our screens and into our hearts on Strictly Come Dancing. This year, not only has he finally got his spot on the judging panel, he’s also appearing in his first ever Panto! It’s been quite a journey for the boy from Kent…
It’s been a busy few months for Anton du Beke. Not only has he got his much-publicised wish to be one of the judges on Strictly Come Dancing, he’s also preparing for his first ever Panto – playing Buttons in Cinderella at Richmond Theatre.
It’s a role he is undoubtedly suited to. He says: ‘For me, entertaining is all about having fun and connecting with the audience’. His cheeky grin and corny jokes will make him the perfect Buttons – and there are bound to be a few dance moves throw in.
Du Beke found fame when joined the first ever Strictly show 17 years ago and is only one of three from that original show, alongside judge, Craig Revel Horwood, and presenter, Tess Daly. He’d been dancing from the age of 14, when he joined local dance classes in Sevenoaks, Kent. At 16 he left school and studied ballet, jazz, contemporary and Modern theatre dance, but eventually ended up specialising in ballroom and Latin. As an amateur, he entered competitions at night, whilst having a job as a salesman by day. He says his dance idol was Fred Astaire – suave, flight of foot and always with a wide grin. Astaire even influences his style, with his penchant for handmade suits. His website says: ‘Anton defines modern-day dapper: classically stylish and always impeccably turned out.’
He met his long-term dancing partner, Erin Boag, in 1997, and they began to compete professionally, his determination to win helping them to gain national and international awards: ‘In my competition days I was the polar opposite of the patient, charming person you see on Strictly. I wasn’t charming. I was out of control. A bit destructive to myself, to my dance partner, Erin, impatient to win,’ he’s told the Daily Mail.
And then they both got spots as professional dancers on a small dance show at a time when ballroom was seen as old-fashioned and a bit of a joke but changed his life.
Now aged 55, his Strictly dance partners have usually been more ‘mature’ such as Lesley Garrett (his very first partner on the show), Judy Murray and Ruth Langsford. His most infamous partner was former Tory MP, Ann Widdecome, who he had to literally drag round the floor in Series 8. He’s only got to the final a couple of times, the most recent with EastEnders actress, Emma Barton, in 2019. He’s disappointed he hasn’t done better in the competition but has always said the most important thing to him is that his partner gets the most out of the experience: ‘That’s my goal when I partner someone on Strictly – that they’ll have a nice time and enjoy it. If they do, of course it helps them give a good performance, but for me, whatever their result, I want them to look back and say, ‘I had a great time’.’
He says he’s ‘absolutely loving every second’ of being a judge, along with Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas. It was no secret that he wanted the job. He lost out to Ballas when Len Goodman left but did a two week stint last year when Mabuse had to quarantine in Germany, where she lives. This year he’s taken over from Bruno Tonioli, who is unable to fly between the States and the UK due to pandemic restrictions. What happens if Tonioli returns next year remains to be seen.
But while he settles into his new role, he says he is missing being on the dance floor: ’I would love to be out there doing a number. I’m so envious when I watch these guys dancing and they are doing these beautiful numbers,’ he said on spin-off show, It Takes Two.
But sitting in the judge’s chair doesn’t mean he’s working less – he’s father to four-year-old twins, George and Henrietta, with wife Hannah; continues to tour with Boag, and his latest novel, We’ll Meet Again, is due out in November. And somehow, he’s also fitting in Panto. In true theatrical style, he says: ‘My first ever Panto and I’m absolutely delighted to be Buttons at the wonderful Richmond Theatre. See you there my loves!’
Cinderella, Richmond Theatre – 3 Dec – 2 Jan
Find out what else is on locally here.
Richmond Theatre Bookings here.