ALL YOU ARE AFTER IN LIFE IS APPLAUSE’

STRICTLY JUDGE AND NTA WINNER ANTON DU BEKE SHARES HIS DREAM OF FOLLOWING IN BRUCIE’S FOOTSTEPS

- MARC BAKER

Anton Du Beke may be the latest king of light entertainment following his recent win at the National Television Awards – but the Strictly Come Dancing star is still setting his sights on bigger things.

“Don’t stop dreaming. You have got to keep dreaming,” says Anton, 56, in his first interview since beating fellow nominees RuPaul, David Walliams and Mo Gilligan for the Best Talent Show Judge award at this year’s ceremony.

He adds, “Now I have another dream and that’s to play the London Palladium where Sir Bruce [Forsyth, his “idol”] began his career. This is a dream of mine. I have got a date booked for autumn next year and it will be an evening with me and dance.

“I have dreams of doing wonderful things,” Anton continues. “I have these wonderful things that I want to do. It all sounds so self-obsessed but it’s my love, my passion. I have done a show at the Royal Albert Hall and I would love to do that again too.

“Brucie was the ultimate and I spent a lot of time with him. I was starstruck the first time I met him. That was the moment and the only moment I was starstruck.

“I mean, I have been in the studio with Beyoncé for heaven’s sake and Kylie Minogue and Michael Bublé. I have kissed Michael on the cheek and I have danced in front of Andrea Bocelli. But I remember the first time I met Brucie. He was a hero of mine and one of the reasons I did Strictly was because of him.”

Anton followed his heroes into showbiz, and his five-year-old twins George and Henrietta could be similarly inspired: he says they are his biggest fans. The dancer reveals that they and his wife Hannah Summers had everything crossed for him the night before this year’s TV awards at Wembley Arena.