My perfect morning is spent drinking coffee, eating porridge and reading the paper at a local cafe. – Anton du Beke
I worked as an interior designer. I worked as a furniture salesman. I worked as a financial adviser. I worked as a painter and decorator – that wasn’t for very long. I was a baker for about four-and-a-half years. – Anton du Beke
I went professional with my partner, Erin Boag, 11 years ago, and we had success competing round the world, but appearing on ‘Strictly’ has changed my life. – Anton du Beke
Bruce Forsyth is my hero, and the thought that I’d be in a TV show with him was incredible. – Anton du Beke
I have no trouble with my sleep, but the amount I have varies from four to eight hours, depending on my schedule. – Anton du Beke
I’ve been playing golf as long as I’ve been dancing, since I was 13 or 14. I play off six. I like to get out on a golf course as often as I can. – Anton du Beke
The worst question is, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’ I don’t know. Variety is the spice of life. That’s the best way to describe it. – Anton du Beke
I’m a bit of a traditionalist; the ballroom is all about tails and I never mess about with that. But for the Latin you can have a bit fun: tight trousers, gold shirt open to my waist, be a bit ridiculous. – Anton du Beke
My favourite dance is the Foxtrot. It’s a proper dance with proper music. It has class. – Anton du Beke
I wish I’d become a professional dancer sooner. I did other jobs – like baking – while dancing part-time, and didn’t commit until I was 29. – Anton du Beke
My father is Hungarian and moved to Britain during the uprising, and my Spanish mum comes from Galicia; they moved here at the end of the Fifties. – Anton du Beke
When I’m dancing with any woman, I immediately get rid of intimacy barriers. I just give her a big hug and crack on. – Anton du Beke
I got sent some cheese once. I’m not sure if that was saying something about my act, or just because I like cheese. – Anton du Beke
As I grew up, I wasn’t a great buyer of albums, but I really liked ‘The Jam.’ I like good musicians and loved the energy of their songs. – Anton du Beke
‘Strictly’ is a bit like scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final or sinking the final putt in the Ryder Cup – only a few people get the opportunity to do it, and they have got to be famous. – Anton du Beke
With the media how it is these days, people expect to know everything. I don’t talk about my girlfriend because essentially she doesn’t want to be talked about. – Anton du Beke
It’s great that ballroom dancing is being recognised. For many years ballroom dancers were misunderstood and other dance forms didn’t want anything to do with us. – Anton du Beke
The Ritz in London has an old-fashioned charm, with waiters wearing tails and white gloves. The dining room is exquisite, with immaculate service and ornate details. – Anton du Beke
If I avoid anything, it’s that I don’t really go to places that are like a little corner of England. I also never mind going to a dance show because I love it all so much. – Anton du Beke
Give up smoking. Don’t get so fat. So much illness is self-induced – which I can’t stand. And I’m not a good nursemaid. Don’t call me if you’re ill. – Anton du Beke
