Strictly’s Anton Du Beke fights back tears as he discusses Len Goodman friendship in emotional Kate Garraway interview

STRICTLY star Anton Du Beke fought back tears as he spoke about his friendship with the late Len Goodman.

In a very emotional interview for Kate Garraway‘s Life Stories on ITV last night, the dancer said he was the only person he turned to for advice when BBC bosses offered him Bruno Tonioli’s place on the judging panel in 2021.

Anton said: “They asked me to judge, so I spoke to Len of course. I didn’t speak to anyone else.”

As his eyes filled with tears, Anton sighed as he gave in to the emotion.

After a brief moment to collect himself, he continued: “I feel like Len and I shared the journey of Strictly Come Dancing together. I’d known Len Goodman for 45 years.

“It was immediately clear what I should do in five seconds — he said to me, ‘Be yourself and say what you see’. That’s it.”

Len died aged 78 after a short battle with bone cancer. He had been a judge on Strictly from its inception in 2004, while Anton was a dancer.

Show bosses had partnered pro dancer Anton with a string of TV’s leading ladies from Esther Rantzen, Gillian ­Taylforth and Kate Garraway herself in 2007 to the less graceful Ann Widdecombe, Jacqui Smith and Judy Murray.

He reached the final only twice — with Katie Derham in 2015 and Emma Barton in 2019 — but missed out on the Glitterball trophy both times. He laughed and said of his Strictly beginnings: “I realised within ten minutes two things. One, this isn’t about me, and two, I’m going to have to be myself because we had the ­microphones on and cameras on at all times.

“So I never minded who I got, and if I got someone who couldn’t dance I’d just fly them in. That’s the fun.

“But I hated getting voted off, it was absolutely mortifying, gutting and really, really felt horrible because I hated not being part of the show.”

In a shock moment during the ITV show, Anton revealed he was once stabbed by his drunk dad during years of terror at home.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 57, was called gay by dad Antal because of his ballroom dancing dreams.

One Boxing Day, teenage Anton was knifed in the stomach and leg.

With tears in his eyes, Anton recalled: “It came to a head one evening. I ended up in hospital for three days. I got stabbed.

“This is the first time I’ve even mentioned it.

“I’m sure my friends and family don’t even know.”

The telly favourite has previously told how his father beat him with a belt, but opened up about the full extent of the abuse in a heartbreaking interview for Kate Garraway’s Life Stories on Wednesday on ITV.

Tearful Anton recalled how he waved down a police car as he limped to hospital after being stabbed by his father.

Pointing back to his house, he told cops: “He’s in there with a knife.”

Anton, opened up for the first time about the full extent of the abuse dished out by his boozy dad in the emotional interview with Kate.

He told her: “I’ve never ­spoken about this before in my entire life. You’ve got an alcoholic father and a situation where, if you’re in the house then there’s the drinking and you end up with the fights and stuff.

“And you’d move room to get away from all of it and he’d follow you in. And then next thing you know the violence starts.”

He added: “It came to a head one evening. I ended up in hospital for three days.”

With his voice cracking, he went on: “I got stabbed. I’ve never said this out loud before. I got stabbed in the leg and in the stomach.

“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’.”

Anton has previously said his father struck him with a belt at the family home in Kent, but had remained silent on the stabbing.

He told Kate, 56: “This is the first time I’ve even mentioned it. I’m sure my friends and family don’t even know.

“I can’t really believe I’m talking to you about this. I should’ve glossed over this.”

• Kate Garraway’s Life Stories is on ITVX.