Anton Du Beke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anton Du Beke
Du Beke in 2019
Born	Anthony Paul Beke (1966-07-20) 20 July 1966 (age 59) Tonbridge, Kent
Occupation	Professional ballroom and Latin dancer, television presenter, comedian, author
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Television	Strictly Come Dancing (2004–present) Hole in the Wall (2008–09) Step Up to the Plate (2008) Victoria Wood's Midlife Christmas (2009)
Spouse(s)	Hannah Summers ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	2

Anthony Paul Beke (born 20 July 1966), known as Anton Du Beke, is a British ballroom and Latin dancer. He is also an author and television presenter. Anton is most famous for being a professional dancer and now a judge on the BBC One celebrity dancing show Strictly Come Dancing. His professional dance partner since 1997 has been Erin Boag.

In 2009, Anton presented the UK version of Hole in the Wall for the BBC. He had been a team captain on the show in 2008. In November 2017, he released his first music album, From the Top, which reached number 21 on the UK Albums Chart.

Early Life and Family

Anton Du Beke was born as Anthony Paul Beke on 20 July 1966 in Tonbridge, Kent. His father was Hungarian and his mother was Spanish. He has two younger siblings, a brother named Stephen and a sister named Veronica. Anton grew up in Sevenoaks, Kent, and went to Wildernesse School.

Anton started dancing when he was 14 years old. He found a local dance school called the Holton School of Dancing in Sevenoaks. He had several dance partners during these early years. Anton left school at 16 to become an amateur dancer. When he was 17, he decided to focus on ballroom dancing. While he danced in the evenings and on weekends, he worked as a salesman during the day.

Anton lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife, Hannah Summers. They announced in November 2016 that they were expecting twins. Their son, George, and daughter, Henrietta, were born on 30 March 2017.

Dance Career

Anton Du Beke's main professional dance partner is Erin Boag, who is from New Zealand. They first met in 1997. Together, they won the New Zealand Championships in both 1998 and 1999. They became professional dancers in 2002. In that same year, they placed 3rd in the UK. They were also British National Finalists in 2002, 2003, and 2004. In November 2003, they won the IDTA Classic in Brighton.

Anton and Erin balanced competing with teaching dance. They even coached the Cambridge University ballroom dancing team. When they were asked to join Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, they were ranked 14th in the world among professional ballroom dancers. They thought the show would only last for one series. However, Strictly became very popular very quickly. Anton and Erin continued to compete for the first two series of the show. They later decided to stop competing professionally to fully focus on training their celebrity partners for Strictly.

Strictly Come Dancing

Anton du Beke and dance partner Erin Boag in 2008

Anton Du Beke has been a part of every series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing since it began in 2004. He started as a professional dancer, partnering with many celebrities.

Summary of Strictly Come Dancing Performances

In the first series, he danced with singer Lesley Garrett and finished in third place. Over the years, he partnered with many well-known people, including presenters, actresses, and politicians. In series thirteen, he reached his first final with newscaster Katie Derham, finishing in fourth place.

In 2019, for the 17th series, he was partnered with actress Emma Barton. In Week nine, Anton received his first perfect 10s from the judges for their American Smooth dance. They finished as joint runners-up in the competition.

Anton has also appeared in many Children in Need and Christmas Specials of Strictly Come Dancing. In 2008, he won the Children in Need 2008 special with Tess Daly. He also won the Children in Need 2014 special, where he and fellow dancer Natalie Lowe taught children how to dance.

In 2015, Anton was a judge on The People's Strictly, a special version of the show for the charity Comic Relief. In 2020, he filled in as a judge for two weeks on the main show. On 24 June 2021, it was announced that Anton Du Beke would become a permanent judge on Strictly Come Dancing starting from series nineteen in September 2021. He replaced Bruno Tonioli.

Other Television Appearances

Anton Du Beke has appeared on other TV shows. In March 2007, he was a contestant on the BBC Two series The Underdog Show. He was paired with a dog named Ginger.

He has also presented the BBC cooking show Step Up to the Plate. From 2008 to 2009, he was a team captain and then the host on the UK version of Hole in the Wall. On Christmas Eve 2009, he appeared in Victoria Wood's Midlife Christmas, in a comedy sketch.

In 2011, Anton was the first guest on the CBBC talk show Hacker Time. He also appeared on the Channel 4 game show Draw It! in May 2014. On Christmas Day 2019, he made a surprise appearance on Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show.

On 27 October 2023, Anton guest presented Steph's Packed Lunch on Channel 4. In early 2023, Anton and Giovanni Pernice appeared in a travel mini-series called Anton & Giovanni's Adventures in Sicily. This was followed by Anton & Giovanni's Adventures in Spain in 2024.

Books

Anton Du Beke has written several books. He released a book called Anton's Dance Class, which was featured in the Mail on Sunday. He also wrote B is for Ballroom, which is an A–Z guide to ballroom dancing.

Buckingham Hotel Series

In October 2018, Anton Du Beke released his first novel, One Enchanted Evening. He has now released six novels in this series. All of these books are set around the fictional Buckingham Hotel and feature characters named Raymond and Nancy. A 7th book, A Dance for the King, was released in 2024, and an 8th book, A Winter Ball, is planned for 2025.

• One Enchanted Evening (2018)
• Moonlight over Mayfair (2019)
• A Christmas to Remember (2020)
• We'll Meet Again (November 2021)
• The Ballroom Blitz (2022)
• The Paris Affair (2023)
• A Dance for the King (2024)
• A Winter Ball (2025)

Other Novels

• The Royal Show (2024)
• Monte Carlo by Moonlight (2025)

Children's Books

• Code Name Foxtrot (2024)
• Operation Tango (2025)

Dance Tours

In September 2024, Anton Du Beke announced that he would be appearing at "Dancing With The Stars Weekends" in 2025.

In June 2020, Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag announced a 3-month UK Tour for 2021 called "SHOWTIME".

In September 2020, Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice announced a UK Tour for 2021 called "HIM & ME".

Philanthropy

Anton Du Beke is an honorary patron of The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America. This means he supports and helps the organization.

See also

In Spanish: Anton Du Beke para niños