Anton Du Beke has bravely opened up in a shocking new interview to reveal he was stabbed by his father as a child.
The popular TV figure – who has been a mainstay on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing since 2004 as both a pro dancer and now a judge – has sat down with presenter Kate Garraway for her new Life Stories interview series this week to give a previously-unrevealed glimpse into his childhood and some of the traumatic things he experienced.
Seen fighting to hold back tears as he spoke, the 57-year-old told Garraway that his father Antal “took a turn” against him after being gripped by alcoholism, and even went as far as to stabbing him when he was living at their family home on a council estate in Kent.
Du Beke revealed that his father stabbed him in the stomach and leg on Boxing Day one time, and admitted that he has “never said this out loud before”.
Anton Du Beke on Kate Garraway’s Life Stories / Credit: ITV
“The alcoholism and the violence… [it was] towards me,” Du Beke told Garraway as he opened up, “Because I was a boy, a young man I suppose.
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“You’ve got an alcoholic father and a situation where if you’re in the house [he’s] drinking then you end up with the fights and stuff. You’d move room to get away from all of it and then he follows you in and the next thing you know the violence starts and then it came to a head one evening.”
Escaping after the attack, Du Beke confirmed that he managed to flag-down a police car as he walked to the nearest hospital clutching his leg.
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Despite the shocking nature of the incident, the professional dancer admitted to Garraway that he never told his wider family and circle of friends about the attack as he was “embarrassed” about it, and explained that he also never saw any benefit of speaking out.
Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke has revealed he was stabbed by his late father.
'Speaking out will help people who have been victims of terrible domestic abuse.' @Kevin_Maguire
Viewers were informed that Du Beke’s father was cleared in court of the attack, and when he died, Du Beke did not attend his funeral.
In the aftermath of the event, the then-aspiring dancer decided to change his name “from Tony Beke, who grew up on a council estate” to “Anton Du Beke, The Show Man”.
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“I wanted a new start and a new beginning,” he said.
“I wanted to leave what went before, behind, and then move on with the rest of my life, I just wanted to be me.”
Anton Du Beke’s episode of Kate Garraway’s Life Stories airs tonight on ITV at 9pm.
Featured Image – ITV
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Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd August 2023 
