Anton Du Beke makes stance clear on BBC Strictly future as he addresses possible exit amid ‘negative press’
Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke, 58, has shared his thoughts on possibly leaving Strictly as he reflected on the iconic BBC dance show’s troubled past 12 months.
Du Beke started as a pro dancer on the show when it premiered in 2004 and joined the judging panel as a permanent member in 2021.
The Strictly veteran “never even considered” that the show would continue and grow for as long as it has.
He reckons the success of the show, outside of its “genius” concept, was its multilayered appeal – from the live music and celeb drama to the dancing itself.
Speaking to RadioTimes, Du Beke explained the “nuts and bolts” of Strictly has remained the same and “people are loving the show as much as ever”.
On the future of the show as a whole, the 58-year-old is adamant “it can run and run”.
Regarding his own future, Du Beke is even more certain.
“I’ll be there in a decade, don’t you worry,” he declared to the publication ahead of the quarter-final stage this coming weekend.
Building on his predictions, the judge said he was confident Strictly would overcome the “negative press” it has faced in recent months.
Last year, former contestant Amanda Abbington accused pro dancer Giovanni Pernice of “threatening and abusive behaviour” during their training sessions.
Taking aim at the coverage of the saga, Du Beke blasted: “What the press don’t understand is that audiences don’t want to hear about that.”
“They want you (the press) to leave it alone, thank you so much. We love this show,” he concluded.
The saga prompted an investigation into Pernice’s conduct and cleared the Italian pro – who recently went public with a new romance – of “some but not all charges”.
However, all serious allegations of “bullying” and abusive behaviour were not upheld.
Instead, the world of Strictly has found itself at the centre of an entirely different saga altogether these past few weeks thanks to contestant, Pete Wicks.
The former TOWIE star has managed to avoid the dreaded dance-off week after week of late, sparking calls of a “fix” from the judging panel in regards to their scoring.
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This past weekend, it was Jamie Borthwick who was the unfortunate celebrity to leave the show before the quarter-final stage.
Paired with Michelle Tsiakkas, the EastEnders star had nothing but high praise for the “magic” of Strictly.
Meanwhile, Tsiakkas was moved to tears after losing her spot in the competition and soon after she took to Instagram to admit it’d been one of the “toughest” weeks she’s endured on the show.