Anton Du Beke, the beloved Strictly Come Dancing judge, has expressed his admiration for the late Sir Bruce Forsyth as he reflects on his own future with the BBC show. Despite nearing his 60th birthday, Anton has no intention of retiring, especially with the show’s 20th anniversary on the horizon.
The star, who first found fame as a professional dancer on Strictly before joining the judging panel after Bruno Tonioli’s departure, feels incredibly fortunate to have remained a part of the show for two decades. He shared his gratitude, saying: “I’m so honoured and thrilled to still be part of it.”
In an interview with Woman’s Weekly, Anton, known affectionately as the King of Ballroom at age 58, made his intentions clear: “I’ll never retire. Brucie was doing his thing right until his 80s; I saw him do a one-man show when he was about 80 years old.”
He continued to express his respect for Sir Bruce, who presented Strictly alongside Tess Daly for a decade until 2014, before being succeeded by Claudia Winkleman: “He was brilliant and I want to be the same,” Anton remarked.
With enthusiasm, Anton declared: “I’m living my best life really. I’m 58 now and I feel great, so bring it on! “
Anton also takes pride in the fact that Strictly is the only show broadcast on terrestrial TV that captivates his children, George and Henrietta, whom he shares with his wife Hannah Summers. This is particularly significant as they generally prefer streaming content on platforms like YouTube or Netflix.
The couple had previously faced challenges conceiving due to Hannah’s endometriosis.
He shared the poignant moment he found out his partner Hannah was pregnant with twins on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum, Happy Baby Podcast, following their IVF journey.
Recounting the doctor’s revelation, he said: “And he goes, ‘Ah; there’s one heartbeat’, and I go, ‘Where? ‘ And he’s fiddling around and then he goes, ‘Ooh; there’s another heartbeat’, and I was stunned.”
“And I went…I say, it’s a rude word; I apologise and I went, ‘F**k me, babe’.”