Anton Du Beke reveals confession about his time on Strictly
Anton Du Beke has shared a candid admission about his recent years on Strictly Come Dancing.
Anton has been taking part in Strictly since its launch in 2004, when he competed as a professional dancer. Then, in September 2021, he was chosen to replace Bruno Tonioli on the judging panel, and has continued ever since.
Now, following the success of Strictly’s 20th anniversary series last year, Anton has revealed one secret about his time on the hit BBC show.
In an interview with The Times, the 58-year-old confessed that the Strictly celebrity lineup has changed dramatically over the years.
“In the old days of Strictly, we used to know everybody,” Anton recalled, before stating that he now doesn’t “know half the people who come on”.
However, the professional dancer went on to explain that he has been impressed by the increased standard of dancing throughout the series.
“But they all turn out to be marvellous. For example, I didn't know of [former Love Island bombshell] Tasha Ghouri, but she was extraordinarily fabulous. I had no idea who [social media star] Joe Sugg was either,” Anton exclaimed.
Anton also shared why he is proud that Strictly stands out amongst other reality shows.
“Strictly is not Love Island. There's no point seeing gorgeous 25-year-olds dancing fabulously. We want the celebrity partners to reflect the people who watch the show,” he detailed.
In the months before Strictly’s launch in September, the show was hit with major controversy. Professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was let go from the series, due to misconduct accusations surrounding his celebrity partner, Zara McDermott.
Giovanni Pernice was also investigated, following allegations made by his dance partner Amanda Abbington. The BBC later concluded that they were upholding “some but not all” of the accusations. They also issued a formal apology to Abbington.
Despite both investigations, Anton praised last year’s series – won by blind comedian Chris McCausland – by gushing: “Strictly 2024 was the best it’s ever been. It was excellent. With all that went on in the summer."
