Anton Du Beke, who is a former professional dancer turned judge on Strictly Come Dancing, has had an intriguing life filled with ups and downs.
While he had a tough start thanks to his abusive father, he has since gone on to be happily married and even a doting dad in later life.
He was also voted Best Television Judge at the National Television Awards last year after just one series as a newly-appointed judge on Strictly.
However, in a sensational new TV interview that will air tonight on ITV, the BBC favourite has opened up about how he was once stabbed by his father in his youth.
Express.co.uk looks back at the life of the 57-year-old ballroom pro as he appears on our screens this evening.
READ MORE: Strictly judge Anton du Beke makes bombshell claim he was stabbed by drunk dad[NEWS]
A difficult childhood
Anton, who was born to a Spanish mother and Hungarian father, grew up on a council estate in Sevenoaks, Kent.
He discovered his love of dancing aged 14 after seeing his sister perform at a local studio and quickly became obsessed.
While his mother encouraged him, Anton’s father grew hostile towards the hobby, calling Anton “gay”.
In tonight’s episode of Kate Garraway’s Life Stories, Anton described how his dad Antal had refused to accept his ballroom dreams.
In the interview, he spoke about having “an alcoholic father and a situation where, if you’re in the house then there’s drinking and… fights.”
He added: “You’d move room to get away from all of it and he’d follow you in – and then next thing you know, the violence starts.”
Anton has previously made claims his father used to beat him with a belt and his sister Veronica Richards echoed these claims about Antal.
“He used to call Anton gay and he took a turn against him,” she stated.
“My dad’s drinking affected his mood – he was mean, he wasn’t a nice person when he was drunk.
“My dad was drinking his money down the toilet, so what Mum did was work nights in a nursing home, [meaning] she wasn’t there to protect us,” she continued.
Antal later divorced their mother Ascension and when he died in 2001, Anton decided not to attend his funeral despite staying close to his sister and mum.
The most shocking revelation during the interview came when Anton claimed that, while drunk, his father stabbed him in the stomach and leg.
On his way to hospital, he apparently flagged down a police car to warn its driver: “He’s in there with a knife.”
Anton also claimed that he spent three days in hospital following the alleged attack and admitted he’d never mentioned the stabbing before.
“I’ve never spoken about this before in my entire life,” he stated.
“I’m sure my friends and family don’t even know,” he added.
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Ballroom fame and Strictly Come Dancing
Anton left school aged 16 to pursue a career in dance, deciding to specialise in ballroom the following year.
He met Erin Boag in 1997 and the pair became dance partners, going on to win the New Zealand Championships in 1998 and 1999.
The pair turned professional in 2002 and focused mainly on competitions in the UK, winning the DTA Classic in Brighton in 2003.
In 2004, Strictly Come Dancing began and Anton was one of the original professional dancers to be signed up to the show.
While he became a fan favourite, Anton never actually won the show.
In fact, his best result to this day is from the very first series, where he placed third with singer Lesley Garrett.
In 2021, Anton was announced as a permanent judge on Strictly Come Dancing following the departure of Bruno Tonioli – and he has quickly proved to be popular in the role.
Marriage and fatherhood
Anton met love of his life Hannah Summers when he was in his 40s, meaning he became a father a little later in life.
Hannah is a successful businesswoman who works as the chief marketing officer at leading mobile network security company AdaptiveMobile.
The pair reportedly first met at a golf club in 2011 and dated for six years before they got married in 2017.
In 2016, the couple excitedly announced they were expecting twins and Hannah gave birth the same year they wed.
Twins George and Henrietta were born on March 30, 2017, when Anton was 50 years old.
Kate Garraway’s Life Stories airs tonight at 9pm on ITV1.
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