Strictly's Anton Du Beke emotionally opens up on his wife's 'cruel and inexplicable' health condition that left them fearing they'd be unable to conceive children
The Strictly Come Dancing star, 59, appeared on a recent episode of Giovanna Fletcher 's Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast where he discussed his wife's chronic battle with endometriosis and the affect it had on their journey to becoming parents.
The couple, who married in 2017, eventually welcomed twins George and Henrietta through IVF that same year, having tried for many years to conceive.
But before they started their family, Anton admitted that marketing executive Hannah had reservations about whether they'd be able to become parents at all thanks to the painful, debilitating condition.
Speaking to Giovanna, he shared: 'I knew I wanted to be with her, I saw her with her nephews. She's so kind and so caring, I just couldn't understand the universe.
'And whoever is upstairs, if anyone's upstairs, looking down and going "you are the most perfect person to have children, but I'm not going to let you have any children because I'm going to give you this".
'And I'm going to say "you're going to have this endometriosis, and you're going to suffer with this all of your life, chronically, and I'm not going to let you have any children.
'I thought that was peculiar, cruel, and inexplicable and unforgivable. And if ever I go up to somewhere and meet this person I would say "I think you're not OK with decisions like this, this doesn't make any sense to me".'
Endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial tissue - tissue similar to uterine lining - grows outside of the uterus, such as on the cervix, bladder, and ovaries, where it collects and thickens over the course of every menstrual cycle.
The chronic pain of endometriosis stems from the tissue growing outside of the uterus, which breaks down with each menstrual cycle. It leads to inflammation and scar tissue binding to and stiffening organs, causing a pulling sensation and sharp, shooting pains.
The pain can be unbearable for some women. A build up of scar tissue can block the fallopian tubes, as well as disrupt the hormone balance necessary for ovulation, making it impossible to conceive.
The TV judge went on to heap praise on women for the things their bodies endure, before touching on his frustrations at not being able to help Hannah through the pain of going through IVF.
Anton shared: 'Then we went through the process of IVF, well crying out loud. You girls are extraordinary. As much as I want to get involved, all I can do is hold your hand.
'It makes me emotional every time I talk about it. The injections, the stress, the anxiety. I have anxiety and stress but it's not my body.
'I thought that was peculiar, cruel, and inexplicable and unforgivable. And if ever I go up to somewhere and meet this person I would say "I think you're not OK with decisions like this'
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes
Endometriosis can affect women of any age, but it's most common in women in their 30s and 40s.
It's a long-term condition that can have a significant impact on your life, but there are treatments that can help.
Source: NHS
'She has these injections and the bruises in the bum, in the thigh, in the stomach. And you're trying to help but what can you do?
'Whatever you want, tell me and I'll do it but that's all you have and it's horrendous as a man to watch it.
'You feel so inadequate and you want to do so much more but I can't do anything. And that's why you girls are so extraordinary, you're extraordinary that you do all this stuff.'
Back in 2022, Anton reflected on his fertility struggles with wife Hannah as he detailed their 'boot camp' style IVF journey, after Hannah's long-term struggle with endometriosis.
Speaking about parenthood on the Parenting Hell podcast, the Strictly judge revealed that Hannah is 'practically perfect' and the 'most incredible mum' calling the fact she couldn't conceive naturally 'the saddest irony.'
He explained: 'She's everything I thought she would be. I thought she'd be an excellent mum, always knew she'd be a great mum but she couldn't have children.
'I thought isn't it funny how nature works in mysterious ways - the person I thought would be an incredible mum couldn't have children - that's the sad irony of it all.
'But as we had IVF we were able to have them in the end and I'm thrilled for me - because I'd have 100 [kids] by the way because I love them - but I'm thrilled for Hannah because she is amazing at it.'
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