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Ballroom is two people dancing together to music, touching in perfect harmony.
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
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My favourite dance is the Foxtrot. It's a proper dance with proper music. It has class.
Anton du Beke -
As soon as I left school at 16, I worked in a factory making aircraft components.
Anton du Beke -
I enjoy watching talented cooks bringing together ingredients into a fabulous dish.
Anton du Beke -
I don't mind how good or bad my partner is, as long as we have a lovely time.
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 -
If things don't go fantastically, you just have to deal with it.
Anton du Beke
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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 -
Frank Sinatra was a great singer, but my favourite is Sammy Davis Jr. He had incredible versatility in his voice, often doing impressions of people. It's always going to be classic, and you'll never get bored listening.
Anton du Beke -
My old dance teacher, Jimmy Wilde, a former European ballroom dancing champion, was so sophisticated.
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 -
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 -
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
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I've never worried about being rich or famous - for me, it's all about the dancing.
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 -
Too many multi-vitamins are packaged as one size fits all, but you should be more specific about what you need. When I was competing as a dancer, I took zinc for healthy skin and immune system.
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 want to do lots of exciting, varied, interesting things. That's what I want to do.
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
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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 -
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 -
You can't talk about yourself in the third party - that makes you a lunatic!
Anton du Beke -
The world would be a better place if everyone learned to dance.
Anton du Beke