S Poddar
Here are some musings from an old dog, Anton Du Beke, who has perhaps had his finest years in professional dancing with Strictly Come Dancing as a judge.
Du Beke, who has also been paired up with a long list of other celebrities during his series on Strictly, including Ruth Langsford, Ann Widdecombe, Lesley Joseph, and Dame Esther Rantzen, confessed that although he loved working with each one, there were some challenges in training with older women.
In a forthcoming candid interview for the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Du Beke explained that “I say this in the nicest way possible, but none of them were 25. And because they can’t dance, even when they’re good, it’s still awful.” He clarified what he did mean, or rather didn’t mean, is that he didn’t intend to offend his partners: “They are wonderful, interesting, fabulous, brilliant, funny, intelligent women who I enjoyed every second with. But it is what it is.”
Du Beke also shared a funny story when he asked one of his partners if she was flexible, and she looked him up and down and said, “Yes, but I can’t do Tuesdays.” The dancer put under emphasis that one just tries the best one can and that is it. “That is as much as you can do.”
More recently, the controversy involved Giovanni Pernice, who was accused of misconduct by his former partner, Amanda Abbington. Pernice himself has since been cleared of most of the accusations but the incident has led to broader discussions on the treatment of participants on the show.
Not only his partners get into controversy. In 2009, Du Beke courted outrage over a racist remark he made about then-partner Laila Rouass. The controversy has only just recently broken again, though Du Beke, having apologized publicly said he was “stupid” and “embarrassed” by the words that had left him feeling embarrassed.
As an aftermath of the Pernice controversy, Du Beke publicly agreed that he stood by his dancing fellow, believing that the latter has not been given enough credit because of the storm surrounding the controversy. He even mentioned that, in the set of Strictly, it was essential that a happy and respectable scenario unfolds.
Given the significance of Du Beke not fading out anytime soon, his observations pertaining to the challenges and rewards on offer from the experience of being on Strictly is most relevant to any individual interested in the world of ballroom dancing. Whether he is talking about an old partner or speaking one’s mind on the topical row of the day, Du Beke’s erudite, frank remarks take a peek behind the curtain at Strictly Come Dancing.
