Latest news with #AntonDuBeke
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Zara Tindall spotted dancing with Strictly Come Dancing legend as fans beg BBC to 'make it happen'
Zara Tindall was spotted dancing with Strictly Come Dancing legend Anton Du Beke as fans begged the BBC to 'make it happen'. The King's niece, 43, beamed as she posed with the British ballroom and Latin dancer, who is known for his work as a judge on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. Zara's former rugby player husband Mike, 46, shared the snap on his Instagram recently, saying: 'I always said she would be great on Strictly!' It appears that fans of the show agreed, with many rushing to the comments to say they would 'love' to see the mother-of-three on the dance floor. One person said: 'I would LOVE to see Zara on Strictly.' Another added: 'Oh that would be amazing!' Someone else said: 'Please make this happen!' Anton, meanwhile, joked: 'I'll come out of retirement!' In the snap, the pair look very comfortable together standing in a dancing pose and gripping hands. Zara looked casual with her blonde locks scooped back into a white baseball cap and she donned a black rain jacket. Zara Tindall was spotted dancing with Strictly Come Dancing legend as fans beg the BBC to to 'make it happen' after her husband Mike (right) shared a snap on Instagram While no members of the British Royal Family have been appeared on Strictly, this could be a first if Princess Anne's daughter was asked to partake. Zara isn't the only person linked to the royal family who is being rumoured for this year's show as Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker, has reportedly been approached by producers for the upcoming series. Meanwhile Camilla previously revealed she herself would love to take part in the dancing series during a visit to the Royal Voluntary Service last year. She said: 'I would love to do it because I've always wanted to tap dance. So in my dotage perhaps it's something I could take up.' Anton started as a pro dancer on the show when it premiered in 2004 and joined the judging panel as a permanent member in 2021. It comes after Mike gave royal fans a sneak-peek at his breakfast date with his 'motivational advisor' Zara before they teamed up for a charity golf event. Zara celebrated her 44th birthday on May 15, with the former rugby player marking the occasion with a sweet snap of the pair on Instagram. The photo showed Mike and Zara, who wed in 2011, lovingly gazing into each other's eyes at a celebrity golf tournament at The Belfry Hotel & Resort last year. The King's niece, 43, beamed as she posed with British ballroom and Latin dancer Anton Du Beke, who is known for his work as a judge on the BBC One celebrity dancing show Strictly Come Dancing It appears that fans of the show agreed, with many rushing to the comments to say they would 'love' to see the mother-of-three on the dance floor He captioned the post: 'Happy Birthday to the better Tindall. She's even let me play golf on her birthday!' He was referring to this year's edition of the charity golf event in Sutton Coldfield, as Mike and Zara made their way to The Belfry for the Celebrity Golf Classic that typically coincides with the royal's birthday. On Friday, Mike shared a second photograph on Instagram that showed him and Zara at a diner, wearing sporty ensembles while enjoying a hearty breakfast of eggs, beans, and sausages. In his caption, Mike revealed his 'motivational advisor' Zara was giving him some 'final pieces of advice' before tee-off. While Zara and Mike were both wearing dark sport jackets, emblazoned with the logo of his charity event, the typically stylish royal finished her look with a pair of white shorts and matching sneakers. Meanwhile, Mike's printed golf shorts featured a bold print of peacock feathers in a sartorial choice that tickled his followers. He quickly followed his post up with a sweet snap of Mike and Zara on the golf course that appeared to have been taken after the 18th hole was played. Mike gushed 'one of us [is] more photogenic than the other' as he marked a 'picture perfect day at The Belfry' on the social media platform. Mike gave royal fans a sneak-peek at his breakfast date with his 'motivational advisor' and wife Zara, after revealing they spent her birthday on a golf course He quickly followed his post up with a sweet snap of Mike and Zara on the golf course that appeared to have been taken after the 18th hole was played at his charity golf tournament in Sutton Coldfield Fans praised the 'down-to-earth' couple and wished Zara a belated happy birthday in the comments section, with one person writing: 'Elite sports mindset training there… you're a lucky man. Happy birthday, Zara!' Another said: 'Happy Birthday to Zara, hope you have a great game today & raise some money for the charities x' Referring to Mike's outfit, one user quipped: 'Was it…. You have the shorts babe now you go be a peacock!!??' 'Can't believe you're allowed those shorts,' another wrote. 'Lovely to see such a happy couple and down to earth.' It comes after the former Olympic equestrian shared a cheeky tale from the early days of her romance with Mike. Recalling a dinner date in 2003, Zara, who has no royal title, revealed their flirtation took an unexpectedly bold turn, as per The Sun. 'He asked me for a kiss,' she laughed. 'And I said, 'If you get naked, I'll give you a kiss.' 'So he got naked, I gave him a kiss, and then... well, anyway.' Zara, the daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, recalled one night when Mike's partying got the better of him. Mike and Zara high-five during the Mike Tindall Celebrity Golf Classic at the Belfry Golf & Resort Hotel in Sutton Coldfield Zara looked typically stylish in her black sport jacket, white shorts, and a white golf cap. She accessorised with her engagement ring and a pair of brown sunglasses Mike and Zara on the golf course at the Belfry hotel as the former England rugby player wore printed golf shorts featuring a bold print of peacock feathers in a sartorial choice that tickled his followers 'He was so drunk he passed out and I had to leave him there,' she said. 'One of my mates had to come and pick him up. I can't move a 20-stone rugby player when he's out cold!' Zara and Mike's marriage has grown into a famously solid union. The couple, who wed in 2011, now share three children and regularly appear at both sporting and royal events. However, King Charles' niece initially thought the English athlete was a bit 'boring' after their first meeting at the Rugby World Cup in Sydney, Australia, in 2003. Mike responded to Zara's admission she found him 'boring' during an appearance on Good Morning Britain earlier today, when he told Kate Garraway and Adil Ray 'she's probably gone the other way on her thoughts'. 'No, I think the boring chat was the first time we met and I'd just been dropped from the Rugby World Cup semi-final so I probably really wasn't in the mood at that point. 'I would hope that I've made up for it and she's probably gone the other way on her first thoughts.' It comes after Zara took part in an equestrian trial last weekend, with her family gathered to show their support. Peter Phillips' daughters Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13, took selfies with their cousin Mia Tindall, 11 - who was on hand to cheer on her mother - as they took in the fifth and final day at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday. Looking sporty and casual, Savannah opted for a slouchy quarter-zip with shorts, and wore her wavy hair down, while her sister Isla was trendy in a Von Dutch cap and grey top. Elsewhere, little Mia was adorable as ever in a chic white shirt and hat, teamed with a fun patterned skirt. Mike and Zara share a sweet moment at the tournament, one day after the royal turned 44 The kids clearly enjoyed some girl time as they were spotted chatting up a storm in the stands. Their father Peter, 47 - who shares Savannah and Isla with his ex Autumn Kelly - looked after the royal cousins with his girlfriend Harriet Sperling, who looked summery and glam in a white and navy patterned dress. Meanwhile, Princess Anne's son looked ready for every weather in a pinstripe button-down, gilet and a cap - along with aviator shades. In one sweet father-daughter bonding moment, Isla could be seen huddling up to her dad for a cuddle. The family was out to support Zara, who looked to be in high spirits as she collected a revered accolade at the event. The mother-of-three beamed as she posed with other attendees in Gloucestershire. Radiating sporty casual, the daughter of Princess Anne dressed for the warmer weather in wide-leg jeans and a blue cropped jacket, adorned with golden buttons. She kept her blonde tresses out of her face with a ponytail, and looked excited to chat with others at event - even being snapped giggling at something. Keeping her look practical yet classy, the mother-of-three donned simple white trainers. For her make-up, Zara opted for a fresh-faced visage that accentuated her eyes, and kept accessories minimal.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hotel's 'delight' after visit from Strictly Come Dancing judge
A Strictly Come Dancing star has been enjoying his time in Suffolk including a stay at a west Suffolk hotel. The Tuddenham Mill Hotel, near Bury St Edmunds, shared a post on social media after Anton Du Beke's recent visit. The Strictly star has appeared in every season since the hit show started in 2004 as both a professional and now as a judge. He performed at The Apex Theatre in Bury St Edmunds on Friday. READ MORE: Bury St Edmunds News The Tuddenham Mill Hotel said: "The team were delighted to meet with Anton. "A gentleman!" The social media post pictures Du Beke with the hotel's award-winning chef, Patron Lee Bye. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tuddenham Mill (@tuddenhammill) The social media post said: "CHA CHA CHA" "Some tough judging this weekend at The Mill… "The pleasure was ours. "Look out for our Chef Patron Lee on the ice…." Anton Du Beke is now on tour until November with 'Anton Du Beke at the Musicals'.
Telegraph
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Anton Du Beke: ‘Brucey was my hero. He was everything I wanted him to be'
Anton Du Beke, born Anthony Beke in 1966, is a professional ballroom and Latin dancer, author and singer. He is best known for Strictly Come Dancing, and is the BBC series' longest-standing cast member, beginning as a competitor at the show's launch in 2004 and becoming a judge in 2021. He is now trading in swing dancing for a golf swing with his new podcast, Putt & Strut, which he presents alongside sports journalist Sarah Stirk. He has been married to Hannah since 2017, and together they have two children, twins George and Henrietta, also born in 2017. Best job you've ever had? My best job I've ever had is being a father. It surprised me. It just is. I've loved it from the moment… You hear someone say: 'I've got children.' 'Oh, how old are they? Four? Oh, four, what a lovely age!' But every age is more lovely. 'Five. Oh, I loved it when they were five! Oh, six, we went out walking. Oh, seven, how lovely!' It just gets better and better. There's not one great age. Every second of it I love. Best personality trait? This isn't a question for me, this is a question for someone else! I don't know, probably should ask my wife. Can I call my wife? [phones wife] She says: 'Everybody always asks me, is he really like that in real life?' Emphasis on 'that'. 'Yes, he is… But it's for you to decide what the 'that' is!' Best childhood memory? Of course, growing up, it was always when one gets one's first bike! When I was eight or nine. It was red, I think. That's always a fine memory. Best celebrity encounter? It has always been Sir Bruce Forsyth. Meeting Sir Bruce Forsyth. He's my hero, to be honest with you. He was such a brilliant entertainer, and he was everything I wished and wanted him to be. They say never meet your heroes, but that has never been further from the truth for me. He was absolutely incredible. Generous, kind, funny, helpful… Just the most incredible man, really. Best moment on Strictly to date? Doing a song-and-dance number with Brucey. We did Me and My Shadow years ago on Strictly Come Dancing, and that was the career highlight. Best thing about getting older? For me, the best thing about getting older is having had children later in life. It's the best thing I ever did, because I'm in a much better place as a human being to have had children, and I'm loving it more than I possibly could if I was younger. I was so focused on me when I was younger. Dancing, competing, travelling. Now I've got a different career, and it's just been the most wonderful thing. Best lesson you've learnt in life? A mantra which I try to live by, which was said to me by an old dance teacher of mine many years ago, was: 'Get better.' I think it's a good mantra for life, really. You can only control you. You can't control anything else, and don't complain about everything else. Just get better at what you do, and the rest will sort of take care of itself. I used to be a wonderful complainer about everything. Oh, the floor was terrible, the suit doesn't fit, my partner was heavy, she didn't look any good, didn't like her dress, music was awful... I used to complain about everything, apart from me. I was marvellous! Turns out I wasn't. So his advice to me was, get better. My mum always said to me, 'Work hard,' and those two things I live by, really. Worst job you've ever had? I was a carpet-cleaning salesman going from door to door. No one was in! I was banging on people's doors saying, 'Would you like your carpets cleaned?' They'll go, 'No.' 'Oh, OK. Thank you.' Next one, no one in, next one... I did it for one day and gave up. I got dropped off somewhere in some high street, I can't even remember where, it was years ago, and it was horrendous. Worst personality trait? I wish I could overcome the shyness! [laughs] I'm sure I've got many sort of personality traits that are a bit annoying. Probably a bit too needy, needy of affirmation. How do I look? Am I all right? My wife once described me as an island of an individual. I think I've had, in the past, the propensity to be a bit all-consumed and -consuming. I think that's got less since I've had children, though. Surely I have a bridge, maybe a jetty, or a pontoon – a retractable one, I grant you, but one nonetheless. My wife says I'm annoyingly quick with my wit, you can put in brackets 'smarta--e'. Worst fan interaction? I've had people want to shake my hand when I'm stood there having a wee in a loo. Like, 'Hi, Anton.' Er... Give me a minute! Worst childhood memory? When I was a little boy growing up, I used to play football all the time. I remember going to this football thing, a competition or something to play, and the ground was frozen and we couldn't. I have to tell you, I was devastated. I also remember when I was about 10 years old, Liverpool made the FA Cup final – I know this is football and it shouldn't be, really, but when I was a little boy, there wasn't much else going on – I remember Liverpool lost to Manchester United and I cried. I'd never cried before over football. That was heartbreaking. Worst celebrity encounter? Not really anyone, really. I'm always pretty generous with people, because I know I'm not going to spend the rest of my life with them. So even if they are annoying, I just sort of go, 'Well, it'll be over soon. We'll be done in a short period of time.' There's nobody where I've gone, 'I'd be happy never to meet them again.' There's nobody I've ever swerved. Worst moment on Strictly to date? Getting voted off first was always the worst moment for me [with Susannah Constantine in 2018 and former home secretary Jacqui Smith in 2020]. Getting voted off at all, actually, you don't want to get voted off at any stage. Even if you feel it coming, you just think, 'Oh, I wonder if we could go another week,' but once you're out, you're out, and that's it. Worst thing about getting older? I can't remember routines like I used to. It takes longer to remember. It's so irritating. Hearing's gone as well. Bits start to drop off, and that's really upsetting. I'm a machine, obviously, so it doesn't happen to me yet, but I'm waiting for it to happen at any stage. But I've had to have my hair done twice [a hair transplant], just to keep my hair in one place. The salt-and-pepper look has been an absolute revelation to me. It saved me having to dye it. I've looked at some of my dyed hair coloured in photos, and I've wondered why somebody didn't mention it to me earlier! Worst lesson you've learnt in life? That money doesn't actually grow on trees. The absolute worst? Winter seems to have got longer. What happened to winter being for a short period of time? It's now nine months of the year. How come the UK's suddenly got wetter? I find it sort of getting bleak. I'm happy to get rid of winter. We have a breath of spring, summer lasts a fortnight, then we're into autumn. That's annoying. I think we need to cancel winter from the first of January. That'd make me happy. Putt & Strut with Anton Du Beke and Sarah Stirk is available to listen to on Global Player, and all major podcast platforms.
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Michael Sheen, Anton Du Beke and Donald Trump's niece among Hay Festival line-up
Welsh actor Michael Sheen, Strictly judge Anton Du Beke and the niece of US President Donald Trump are among the Hay Festival line-up for 2025. The long-running arts and literature event will also feature musicians Billy Ocean, Paloma Faith and Brian Eno, children's author Jacqueline Wilson, Succession creator Jesse Armstrong, Conclave writer Robert Harris, artist Grayson Perry, and leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey. British author and playwright Hanif Kureishi, who fainted in December 2022 while on holiday in Rome and woke up without the use of his hands, arms and legs and brought out the memoir Shattered about his experience, will also be at the 38th spring edition of the festival in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. The event will also see Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of late Russian activist and politician Alexei Navalny, BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty, campaign group Led by Donkeys, TV presenters Katie Piper and Stacey Dooley, Bad Sisters and Catastrophe actress Sharon Horgan, and The Good Place star Jameela Jamil appear. The Hay Festival president, actor and comedian Sir Stephen Fry, said: 'I am delighted to be returning to Hay Festival – one of my favourite places on earth – to talk about my new book, Odyssey, and join debates and discussions across the festival field. 'Besides the fun and joy of gathering to share stories, it is also the antidote to disinformation and division. There is space for everyone in this carnival of ideas and I hope to see you there.' Mary Trump, who wrote Too Much And Never Enough, will give an insight into her family including her uncle Mr Trump, while British politicians Diane Abbott, former chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Lord Michael Heseltine and Lord Graham Brady speak about their books. Du Beke has brought out several novels and will speak about his new fiction work Monte Carlo By Moonlight, while Good Omens and Underworld star Sheen will host a storytelling event. There will also be events with former BBC journalist Jon Sopel, ex-White House communications director turned podcast host Anthony Scaramucci, the National Poet of Wales Hanan Issa, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, and comedians Miranda Hart and Katherine Ryan. Hay Festival global chief executive Julie Finch said: 'Over the past 12 months, we've seen the speed at which our world can change and the high stakes for our times. 'Here's a Hay Festival programme to tackle our shared challenges head-on with purpose and hope, celebrating new ideas and the power of storytelling to improve our lives. 'Woven throughout you'll find our core themes for 2025 – the impacts of AI, health and wellbeing, new political orders and intergenerational exchanges – plus, as we celebrate 20 years since our first overseas event, we open more global exchange through new platforms. 'This is a festival for everyone. Join us in a world of different ideas.' Adapting stories for the screen will be explored with The Other Bennet Sister author Janice Hadlow and Jane Tranter, co-founder of the Doctor Who production company Bad Wolf, with Harris, while Armstrong and Horgan will give insights on TV. There is drama from Succession actress Harriet Walter, who shares She Speaks! What Shakespeare's Women Might Have Said, while The Lion King songwriter Sir Tim Rice presents an evening of musical hits as Ocean performs. Crime fiction and thrillers will also be explored, with Countdown star Susie Dent, comedian Julian Clary, broadcaster Reverend Richard Coles, BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine and Good Morning Britain presenter Rob Rinder presenting their works. Other highlights include Bridget Jones's Diary star Jim Broadbent joining comic artist Dix to launch his new book, The Idris File, Labyrinth author Kate Mosse in conversation with Wilson about her upcoming adult novel Picture Imperfect, poet John Cooper Clarke, Welsh rugby star Dan Biggar and Albanian prime minister Edi Rama. The Hay Festival will have more than 600 events from May 22 to June 1.
