Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Anton Du Beke

50 replies

shadypines · 15/10/2023 11:20

I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw Anton on the judging panel. I thought he was, in the main, thoughtful, interesting, insightful and he cared about the contestants. I was interested in what he had to say.
But oh my lord what is happening? Lately it's like he's being taken over by the spirit of Len and Bruno. Shouting, one words sentences or grunts, waving his arms about and rather than speaking normally like the others. It's really hard to listen to. Also needs to pipe down on the 'I did that with Anne Widdicombe once' , it was amusing the first few times but not ad infinitum.
Can we have the old Anton back please?

OP posts:

Original poster

shadypines · 15/10/2023 17:00

Random but on topic, I've met Craig and was really nice and ordinary too, had lots of time for people.

OP posts:

OrangesLemonsLimes · 15/10/2023 21:32

He’s so so knowledgeable and of course experienced as a SCD pro - for that reason, I’d rather his critique were a bit more forensic and sensible, with less of the ott stuff.

Graciebobcat · 15/10/2023 21:33

He's a much better judge than dancer. Far better than Bruno or Len.

WaltzingWaters · 15/10/2023 21:38

JudesBiggestFan · 15/10/2023 12:11

My friend met Anton Du Beke while they were both out for a meal with their respective families. She said he was constantly bothered for photos (including by her) and yet was charm personified throughout - smiling and chatting with everyone. He was a bit much last night but I'm minded to think they are all given personas ...Craig - strict and unsmiling, motsi - quirky, Shirley - school marmish and obsessed with technique , Anton- fun and crazy. I doubt he's really like that but is just being given a role to play in an entertainment show.

Agree. I met him at a dance event and he was the most gracious celebrity I’ve met. Nothing but genuinely lovely and welcoming.

Prescottdanni123 · 15/10/2023 22:00

The show itself has been dull this year though. Maybe he has been told to act like that to try and jazz it up a bit. Or maybe like me, he is a bit bored and trying to entertain himself. He is still better than Shirley "That was a flawless routine but I am only going to give you an 8 because you are not my favourite and I want them to be the only person I give a ten to, even if they fall flat on their face" Ballas.

OrangesLemonsLimes · 15/10/2023 23:53

The show could use a bit of a shake-up. For example, I’m finding the fake “Sunday night” thing a bit tedious now. I think it would pack more punch if the whole thing were broadcast on Sat evening. Movie week and musicals week should be merged. Just examples….

orangeblosssom · 20/10/2023 05:57

Haven't forgiven Anton for calling Raouss a Paki in 2009.

LizzieSiddal · 20/10/2023 07:13

The other thing Anton does which is extreme annoying, is he grabs hold of Shirley and uses her as a dummy to explain what he’s saying re dance moves. The other week she was ranging there for ages whilst he jabbered on. If I were Shirley I’d tell him to stop it. It’s so disrespectful.

LizzieSiddal · 20/10/2023 07:13

orangeblosssom · 20/10/2023 05:57

Haven't forgiven Anton for calling Raouss a Paki in 2009.

Gothambutnotahamster · 20/10/2023 20:24

I do love him now @LizzieSiddal but i was always astounded that he kept his job after that (& hated him at the time for it).

Ramalangadingdong · 21/10/2023 01:41

orangeblosssom · 20/10/2023 05:57

Haven't forgiven Anton for calling Raouss a Paki in 2009.

I never heard this. It’s disgusting. Was she with Ronnie Sullivan at that time? Ronnie should have had a word with him.

Twonewcats · 21/10/2023 09:44

orangeblosssom · 20/10/2023 05:57

Haven't forgiven Anton for calling Raouss a Paki in 2009.

Hmm, it really wasn't quite so cut and dried as that.
I remember at the time, they (both) said she'd had a spray tan and so was darker than usual, and he made some (yes, vile) comment using the P word. From memory, they both said they had used that word as bantz (lolzzzz) at one point during rehearsals (yes, grim), and he then used it after the spray tan, thinking they were just having a laugh.
I always believed the reason she didn't walk out or demand a new partner is because she had used the word too, and realised how awful it would look if they made a bigger deal out of it all.

I personally have known various Indian and Pakistani families who are incredibly vile about each other's races.

peppermintcrisp · 21/10/2023 09:48

I met him with my DC at a dance event. We had a photo with him and he was so lovely. He was stopped all evening by by various people and he spoke to each and every person with respect and was also charismatic. He really is s nice chap.

GrimDamnFanjo · 21/10/2023 15:03

orangeblosssom · 20/10/2023 05:57

Haven't forgiven Anton for calling Raouss a Paki in 2009.

lailla didn't turn up for the final show iirc.
I don't think he's terribly bright outside the obvious skills and knowledge for dance.
Around that time he had a bbc presenting gig too.

KimberleyClark · 21/10/2023 16:23

GrimDamnFanjo · 21/10/2023 15:03

lailla didn't turn up for the final show iirc.
I don't think he's terribly bright outside the obvious skills and knowledge for dance.
Around that time he had a bbc presenting gig too.

Show quote history

No he isn’t whereas Bruno was genuinely cultured and spoke incredible idiomatic English, he has really mastered it.

Newestname002 · 21/10/2023 17:17

Yes I also liked the calm, empathetic and knowledgeable judge when Anton was made a judge. He's being a bit annoying now with definite shades of Bruno's Pantomime behaviours appearing.

He just needs to calm down a bit and be more like the judge he was at the beginning. 🌹

Strictlyfanoftenyears · 22/10/2023 08:51

Is it the same people on here that cant wait to dig out that Raouss stuff. It was donkeys years ago and he apologised FFS. (2009!!!!)

LizzieSiddal · 22/10/2023 08:53

He didn’t ramble on as much last night. Plus he didn’t grab Shirley and use her as a prop. Think someone must have had a word with him.

Maireas · 22/10/2023 08:56

I thought he was a good judge to start with, knowledgeable and informative. However - the last couple of weeks have been awful, he's practically unintelligible. Ridiculous half sentences and strange expressions. Excitable and a bit loud.

bellac11 · 22/10/2023 09:02

I like him, you need characters on telly, everyone is too bloody bland

SoIinvictus · 22/10/2023 09:15

I think that he's been told to be the whacky one.
Craig has to be the nasty one (despite being the most objective and constructive of all of them)
Motsi will soon revert to banging her hands on the table, crying and shouting "you go girl" as she's being a little too constructive this year
Shirley does the head judge/technical superior person thing but it's a lottery who she's going to hate on week by week. I didn't use to notice this (despite being on the SCD threads for years) but it's becoming really obvious this year
Anton was the best. Clear, kind, constructive. No room for that in the panto. They need the whacky one back.

SoIinvictus · 22/10/2023 09:17

orangeblosssom · 20/10/2023 05:57

Haven't forgiven Anton for calling Raouss a Paki in 2009.

As pp has clarified. That's not quite how it happened.

Ramalangadingdong · 22/10/2023 10:22

LizzieSiddal · 22/10/2023 08:53

He didn’t ramble on as much last night. Plus he didn’t grab Shirley and use her as a prop. Think someone must have had a word with him.

Or he saw this thread.

Gothambutnotahamster · 22/10/2023 11:33

He was much better last night!

Original poster

shadypines · 22/10/2023 13:21

Yes he was better last night. There were a couple of moments when I thought he was going to start up again, sometimes I get the impression he had so much to say he knows he can't get it all out, gets frustrated and that's when the one word/grunts come out.
Shirley is a bit Jekyll and Hyde and you just never know who's going to meet Mr.Hyde each week!

OP posts:

Flip

1 2