Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has been praised by Baroness Karren Brady following a “shocking” revelation about his childhood.
The Apprentice star branded the dancer “so impressive” after having suffered so much trauma in his young life thanks to an abusive father.
Anton sat down for an emotional interview earlier this week for the latest episode of Kate Garraway’s Life Stories, where he discussed his heartbreaking childhood and difficult relationship with his father Antal.
The BBC star spoke about having “an alcoholic father and a situation where, if you’re in the house then there’s drinking and… fights.”
Anton also described how his father would call him “gay” for wanting to pursue dance and how he would often turn violent.
“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 revealed.
The most shocking revelation came when Anton said that, while drunk, his father had brutally stabbed him.
“Hearing the Strictly judge open up about his childhood – and how he was stabbed in the stomach and leg by his alcoholic father – was truly shocking,” Baroness Brady reflected.
Anton spent three days in hospital following the attack and admitted he’d never mentioned the stabbing before.
“I’ve never spoken about this before in my entire life,” he told Kate. “I’m sure my friends and family don’t even know.”
Baroness Brady said of the Strictly star: “This is clearly a man who avoids self-pity and has focused hard on looking forward rather than back, and on making a positive life for himself.
“With that much difficulty in his childhood, it’s so impressive that Anton has made such a fantastic life for himself, his lovely wife Hannah and their two children,” she marvelled. “Not to mention a really fantastic career.”
“I’m just glad that, after so many challenges, he finally got his happy ending,” she added sincerely.
Anton was formerly a professional on Strictly Come Dancing before being made a judge in 2021.
He married wife Hanna Summers in 2017 and the pair welcomed twins George and Henrietta that same year.
Kate Garraway’s Life Stories is available to stream on ITVX.