Anton Du Beke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anton Du Beke
|
|
|---|---|
Du Beke in 2019
|
|
| Born |
Anthony Paul Beke
20 July 1966 |
| Occupation | Professional ballroom and Latin dancer, television presenter, comedian, author |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Television | Strictly Come Dancing (Professional dancer (2004–2020); Judge (2021–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 professionally as Anton Du Beke, is a famous British ballroom and Latin dancer. He is also an author and television presenter. Anton is best known 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, he hosted the UK version of Hole in the Wall for the BBC. In November 2017, he released his first music album, From the Top, which reached number 21 on the UK Albums Chart.
Contents
Anton's Early Life and Family
Anton Du Beke was born in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. His father was from Hungary, and his mother was from Spain. He has two younger siblings, a brother named Stephen and a sister named Veronica. Anton went to Wildernesse School in Sevenoaks.
He started dancing when he was 14 years old. He found a local dance school called the Holton School of Dancing. Anton left school at 16 to become an amateur dancer. When he was 17, he decided to focus on ballroom dancing.
Anton lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife, Hannah Summers. In November 2016, they shared that they were expecting twins. On 30 March 2017, their son George and daughter Henrietta were born.
Anton's 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 1998 and 1999.
They became professional dancers in 2002. In the 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 taught and coached dance teams, including the Cambridge University ballroom dancing team. When they were asked to join Strictly Come Dancing, they were ranked 14th in the world. They continued to compete for the first two series of the show. However, they soon realized they had to choose between competing professionally and fully training their celebrity partners. They decided to focus on Strictly Come Dancing.
Strictly Come Dancing Journey
Anton Du Beke has been a part of every series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing since it began. He started as a professional dancer and later became a judge.
In the first series, he danced with singer Lesley Garrett and they finished in third place. Over the years, he partnered with many celebrities. Some of his partners included presenter Esther Rantzen, actress Patsy Palmer, and TV presenter Kate Garraway. He also danced with Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe, and they made it to the quarter-final.
In series thirteen, Anton and his partner, newscaster Katie Derham, made it to the final for the first time. They finished in fourth place. In series seventeen, he partnered with Emma Barton. In Week nine, Anton received his first ever perfect scores of 10 from the judges for their American Smooth dance. They finished as runners-up in that series.
In 2020, Anton became a guest judge for a few weeks. On 24 June 2021, it was announced that Anton Du Beke would become a permanent judge on Strictly Come Dancing. He started this new role in September 2021, taking over from Bruno Tonioli.
Anton has also appeared in many Children in Need and Christmas Specials of Strictly Come Dancing. He won the Children in Need 2008 special, dancing an American Smooth with Tess Daly. He also won the Children in Need 2014 special, where he and dancer Natalie Lowe taught children how to dance.
A Past Misunderstanding
In 2009, Anton Du Beke made an unfortunate comment about his dance partner Laila Rouass after she had a spray tan. Anton quickly apologized publicly for his words. He also spoke about it on It Takes Two, the show's companion program. He said he felt "embarrassed" and "stupid" for what he said.
Laila Rouass accepted his apology. She later said that the story had been "blown out of proportion" and that Anton "didn’t mean to be offensive." She added that she would not have continued dancing with him if she believed he was racist. In 2016, she supported him becoming a Strictly judge, saying he was "so funny."
Other TV Shows
Anton Du Beke's first TV appearance was as a backing dancer in Madonna's music video for Material Girl.
In March 2007, Anton was on the BBC Two show The Underdog Show. He was paired with a dog named Ginger.
He has also hosted the BBC cooking show Step Up to the Plate. From 2008 to 2009, he was a team captain and later the host of the UK version of Hole in the Wall.
On Christmas Day 2019, Anton surprised fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood on Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show.
In early 2023, Anton and Giovanni Pernice appeared in a travel mini-series called Anton & Giovanni's Adventures in Sicily. In 2024, they continued their adventures in Anton & Giovanni's Adventures in Spain.
Anton's Books
Anton Du Beke has written several books. His first book was called Anton's Dance Class. He also wrote an A–Z guide to ballroom dancing, B is for Ballroom.
In October 2018, Anton released his first novel, One Enchanted Evening. He has now released six novels, all set around the Buckingham Hotel and featuring characters named Raymond and Nancy. These books include:
- 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)
Dance Tours
Anton Du Beke often goes on dance tours.
- In June 2023, Anton and Erin Boag announced they would appear at "Dancing With The Stars Weekends" in 2024.
- In June 2020, Anton and Erin Boag announced a 3-month UK Tour for 2021 called "SHOWTIME".
- In September 2020, Anton and Giovanni Pernice announced a 2021 UK Tour called "HIM & ME".
Helping Others
Anton Du Beke is an honorary patron of The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America. This means he supports their work.
Images for kids
-
Du Beke in 2019
-
Anton du Beke and dance partner Erin Boag in 2008
See Also
In Spanish: Anton Du Beke para niños
