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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Mark Jefferies

Strictly's Anton Du Beke 'hasn't been told' if he will return as a judge on BBC show

Anton Du Beke wants to return as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing - but has said he has yet to be asked to join the panel for a second series on popular the BBC show.

The former pro dancer, 55, stepped up last year when long-serving judge Bruno Tonioli, 66, was unable to take his usual place on the panel due to Covid travel restrictions.

Anton said: "I'm hoping to get a call to say, 'Look, here you go, come back judging please'. But we'll wait and see. I'd like to think I'd be on the show in one way or another."

He added: "I wouldn't like to think they'd just get rid of me altogether. That would be a bit dramatic to go from dancer to judge to off the show. The truth is I haven't been told."

Anton Du Beke joined the judging panel on Strictly last year (BBC)
He was previously a professional dancer on the show, having been partnered with celebrities including Gillian Taylforth (PA/BBC)

The father-of-two said he doesn't know if he will be returning as a judge, with him further commenting any reports about such are "just a rumour" at the moment.

Anton joined the BBC show as a dancer in its first series, broadcast in 2004. He has been partnered with the likes of Gillian Taylforth and Ruth Langsford over the years.

And he wouldn't hesitate to return to the dancefloor on the show in the future, despite never having lifted the Glitterball Trophy in his 18 years partnered with celebrities.

Anton has said that he doesn't yet know if he's returning as a judge again this year (Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

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Asked if he would be open to returning as a dancer, he said: "Yes. I love the show. I've been doing it since the beginning and I'm very proud of that. I do it because I love it."

And discussing the fact he hasn't yet won the show, he told Sussex Life magazine recently: "I console myself that they weren't judging me. They were judging my partner."

Anton had stepped in for long-serving judge Bruno Tonioli last year, who was absent from the show (PA)
Anton said he's hoping to be a judge again in the next series (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

It's been suggested in recent months that both Anton and Bruno could return to the judging panel in the next series, which could mean having five judges on the BBC show.

The latest series - which was broadcast last year - saw Anton appear on the panel alongside regular judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas.

Dancer Alijaz Skorjanec announced last month he was leaving the show after nine years.

Sharing a series of photos on Instagram from his time on Strictly, he said: "A little while ago I made the tough decision that Strictly 2021 would be my last.

"The show has given me an opportunity and freedom to create and express myself in front of millions of people every weekend for the last nine years.

"The love and support I got from the team of producers was second to none."

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