Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has revealed that his father stabbed him in the leg and stomach during a Boxing Day fight when he was younger, resulting in a three-day hospital stay.
The dancer, now a judge on the BBC show, opened up about the traumatic incident during his appearance on ITV's Life Stories with Kate Garraway. He described his father as an "alcoholic" throughout his and his sister Veronica's childhood, creating a violent household atmosphere.
Concealing the Injury
Despite the severity of his injuries, a young Anton, determined to return to the dance studio, hid the true cause of his wounds from his dancing partners, telling them he'd "pulled a hamstring".
Recounting the assault, Anton said: "I got stabbed in the leg and in the stomach because of a fight on Boxing Day. It was idiotic. An idiotic situation. I remember walking out of the house to walk up to the hospital, holding my leg, and a police car drove past and I waved him down."
"And I said 'he's in there with a knife' - anyway they carted him off and I ended up in hospital for three or four days," he continued.
Father's Disapproval
In a segment aired during the show, Anton's sister Veronica Richards disclosed that their father "hated" Anton's love of dancing. "My Dad was not so impressed with Anton dancing, he used to call him gay," Veronica recalled. "He took a turn against Anton. My dad's drinking affected his mood, he wasn't a nice person when he was drunk. He was mean."
Anton, Veronica, and their younger brother Stephen were raised by their parents, Hungarian father Antal Xavier Beke and Spanish mother Ascension 'Conchita' Lema, in a council property on an estate in Sevenoaks, Kent. Finances were tight, with Conchita working two jobs to support the household, which eventually led to Anton leaving school so he could earn funds for his dance tuition.
Cutting Ties
After leaving the family home, Anton severed all contact with his father, and his parents subsequently divorced. When his father passed away in 2001, Anton decided against attending the funeral.
He said: "I hate the thought that anything like that defines you. I hate 'woe is me'. I never sought any sense of encouragement from him, my motivation wasn't because of him, it was because I wanted to do it."
Refusing to harbour resentment about his childhood, Anton became emotional as he paid tribute to his mother. "She's amazing and it makes me sad," he said. "She funded everything. I had nothing. I left school - I didn't take a single exam. No academic qualifications whatsoever."
When questioned about whether his father's treatment has influenced his own parenting style, Anton revealed he doesn't spare his father's behaviour a second thought, explaining: "If I need a role model of how to be a great father I look to my father-in-law. What a guy. What a man. That's all you need."
During other portions of the show, Anton opened up about undergoing a hair transplant and quipped that the "only award" he's ever won arrived when he ceased performing and transitioned into judging. The documentary also explored Anton's rise to fame following his partnership with renowned ballroom dancer Erin Boag in the late 1990s, with the duo reaching the World Championships finals on three separate occasions.
Anton's wife Hannah and their twins, George and Henrietta, also made a brief appearance in the episode. Hannah described her husband as the "kindest, gentlest, most fun individual you are ever likely to meet," while the children delivered a heartfelt message to their father, saying: "Hi Daddy, we really love you and we like your dancing a lot."
