Because we had no other relatives living in the U.K., me, my parents and my siblings continuously journeyed abroad to bond with our extended family. – Anton du Beke
The thing about me is that I love variety. I like to try new things, and I don’t want to be pinned back. – Anton du Beke
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
It may sound cliched, but ‘Strictly’ is a real journey. I try to encourage my partner to stay in as long as they can, but above all to enjoy it. – Anton du Beke
I’d like to do a kind of ‘Sunday Night At The Palladium’-style variety show on the BBC. – Anton du Beke
My goal was to become the best dancer in the world and, because I started late, I always had this feeling I was playing catch-up, so I’ve been a bit of a maniac most of my life, sort of striving. – Anton du Beke
I don’t like the Samba; it’s nonsense. With a lot of these Latin dances I can’t really understand what they’re all about. I like the Rumba and the Paso Doble but the others I could take or leave. – Anton du Beke
There is not a lot of money in competition dancing. There never has been; it’s all about winning the trophies, really. It’s not like golf. – Anton du Beke
My old dance teacher, Jimmy Wilde, a former European ballroom dancing champion, was so sophisticated. – Anton du Beke
I just like to sit and admire my garden; it’s so well kept by my gardener and my girlfriend. – Anton du Beke
I don’t get grumpy at a ‘Strictly’ level, you understand. We’re just making a television show – the person I’m dancing with can’t dance; they’re doing their best, and we’re not going to win the World Championships. – Anton du Beke
Being fit is the easiest part of being a dance professional. I used to just throw on a backpack full of rocks and run up a hill. You don’t even have to go to a gym. – Anton du Beke
I’m going for Britain’s Best Dressed Man award, but strangely, I’m never on the list. – Anton du Beke
My goal is to be the best TV presenter, the best entertainer, the best singer. I still want to be the best dancer. I want to be the best at everything I do. – Anton du Beke
Being a competitive dancer is an expensive business – you have to buy the £2,000 or so tail suit and the shoes, and then get yourself around the world to the competitions. And there is not a lot of money to be made in competing. – Anton du Beke
I’m busier than ever and it’s led to new opportunities. But I’ve never worried about being rich or famous – for me, it’s all about the dancing. – Anton du Beke
Because we had no money when I was growing up, when I started dancing, I wasn’t allowed to be frivolous – my mum made me go to every lesson because she was paying for it. – Anton du Beke
Since being involved in ‘Strictly Come Dancing,’ my life has changed completely. I can’t walk down the street without women throwing themselves at me, I usually wouldn’t mind, but they are of a certain age. Hopefully, after this series, they will bring their daughters! – Anton du Beke
I remember watching the Three Tenors at the World Cup in 1990, and it was amazing. They made opera accessible to the man in the street. – Anton du Beke
I always enjoy the process, meeting somebody new and spending time with them and becoming friends with them. That has always been the joy of ‘Strictly’ for me, so I enjoy every year. – Anton du Beke
I do watch what I eat, but I don’t make it myself. When I eat out, I just have to make sure the things I buy are good and healthy. – Anton du Beke
I look better with a tan, but I’ve never gone the fake route. I don’t need to – I have good foreign genes: half Spanish, half Hungarian. – Anton du Beke
You spend your life having lessons, practising and competing as an amateur, and working during the day. As you get to the top end of the amateur field, you try not to work anymore; you earn your living through dancing, maybe by doing a bit of teaching. It’s an ongoing life’s work. – Anton du Beke
Ballroom dancing: it’s a wonderful thing at so many levels because you’ve got to follow the rules. They used to call those rules etiquette once upon a time, but you don’t really have that any more. – Anton du Beke