Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has spoken publicly for the first time about being stabbed by his father, describing the incident as "not that important."
In an interview with Davina McCall on the Begin Again podcast, the 60-year-old revealed he was stabbed in the leg and stomach by his abusive father, Antal Xavier Beke, when he was in his mid-20s. He said he cut all contact with his father after the incident and "never laid eyes" on him again.
Why He Never Fought Back
Explaining why he never retaliated physically, Du Beke said: "The reason I never fought back physically was because it wasn't something you did. You don't lay a hand on your parent."
He added: "I have to be honest with you, growing up we never even spoke back to our parents. I find that staggering if I ever hear anybody do that. But also, why would you?"
Du Beke described his approach to dealing with his father: "From my perspective, the best thing to do is not be in the same room. Avoid it. Easy fix." He acknowledged that others may find this harder, saying: "I understand for other people they might be having a difficult time, and they find it difficult to do that."
Advice for Others
He offered guidance to those in similar situations: "It's a hard thing to advise, because you don't know people's personal circumstances. You only know your own world. What I want to say is this: you have to navigate it the best way you can. Confrontation is not the right way. It doesn't make anything better."
He continued: "What you can't do is allow it to knock you off your path. You are in control of your own destiny. Even if you don't know what you want to do, know this: you will do something. You are a young person with the rest of your life ahead of you; don't let it spoil that for you."
Revealing the Incident
When McCall brought up the stabbing, Du Beke confessed: "That was only an example of various other things that happened, and it wasn't until Life Stories came out that I was sat in the studio and I said, 'This happened', and everyone went, 'Well you never mentioned that!' Because I didn't want that reaction. I never mentioned it because it's not that important. It was then [not now]."
McCall responded: "What is so mad is you've been through all of that and look at you now! What it is saying is you can go through insane stuff and get through it and be like me, like you."
Du Beke said his father was a violent alcoholic, and he was stabbed while on the phone with his dance teacher. He staggered outside and flagged down a police car, and the officers "carted him off." At the time, he said he was "embarrassed" by the incident and lied, claiming he had pulled a hamstring.
