Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has revealed that his father stabbed him in the leg and stomach during an attack at the family home. The 60-year-old dancer and broadcaster opens up about the incident in his new memoir, Steps in Time: The Moments that Made Me.
Attack on Boxing Day
Du Beke, who grew up in Kent, described his late father, Antal, who was from Hungary, as a violent alcoholic. The stabbing took place on Boxing Day in the family home in Sevenoaks while Du Beke was on the phone with his dance teacher. He said he suddenly felt a stab in the leg and stomach after being attacked by his dad.
Injured, Du Beke managed to get outside, where he stopped a police car. He was taken to hospital and spent four days there. Officers took his father away, and after the stabbing, Du Beke told The Times, 'I never laid eyes on him again.' He added that he 'doesn't honestly know' whether his father faced charges following the knifing. Antal died in 2001.
Covering Up the Injury
Du Beke said he felt 'embarrassed' about the real reason for his injury and told people he had suffered a torn hamstring. In the memoir, he says the incident and his father's arrest prompted his parents' divorce. His mother, Ascensión, is from Spain, and he has two younger siblings.
Despite the ordeal, Du Beke insisted that what happened is 'not the defining moment of my life' and that he doesn't 'want people to give me sympathy.'
On Drinking and the Aftermath
Du Beke, who does not drink, told The Times that 'everybody's an armchair psychologist.' He continued: 'They go, "Oh, I see!" No, I promise you don't see. I don't drink. Before people know my father's an alcoholic they go, "He doesn't drink." Now it's, "I know why!" Not the case.'
He added: 'I tried drinking when I was 17 and was sick all over the place. Two pints of beer, head spinning, the whole thing. I've got no constitution and it's hugely expensive. I'd rather spend the money on dancing lessons.'
