Anton remembers dancing with Lesley Garrett

Spare a thought for Anton du Beke the nearly man of Strictly Come Dancing. The professional dancer has been with the show since it was launched in 2004. That year he partnered the opera singer and Clive Conway Productions regular Lesley Garrett. The future looked bright. They made it to the final, coming a creditable third.
Sadly since then, with a couple of notable exceptions - he came second last year with actress Emma Barton - Anton seems to have been destined to paired up with those not overly equipped with dancing ability.
Partners have included Ruth Langsford, Nancy Dell’Olio, Judy Murray, Esther Rantzen, Susannah Constantine and perhaps most famously Ann Widdecombe.
In this latest series he danced briefly with former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith but they were promptly voted off.
Du Beke is undoubtedly a talented dancer but at the age of 54 one imagines he might be fearful that at this rate he will soon be watching his career disappear in life’s rear view mirror. There may even have been real anguish behind his recent comment to OK magazine that what he really needs is“someone who can dance a bit!”
This weekend he will no doubt be musing on what might have been as he watches this year’s hugely talented finalists - actor Maisie Smith, singer Hrvy, comedian Bill Bailey and Made in Chelsea’s Jamie Lang battle it out for the coveted glitterball trophy.Meanwhile Lesley Garrett will be back in action with CCP next summer appearing in a series of An Audience with Lesley Garret shows throughout May and June 2021. Check this website for further details.