24 February 2025
Anton Du Beke could have "quite happily" taken up golf instead of dancing.
Anton Du Beke's dancing career may not have happened if he had discovered golf earlier
The 58-year-old ballroom and Latin sensation has teamed up with Sky Sports presenter Sarah Stirk for a new podcast relating to the sport, which he has played for decades, and Anton has admitted his career could have been different if he fell in love with it before dancing.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I could quite happily have taken it up as a profession if I'd stumbled into it before dance because the two are very similar.
"You're always striving for the next level. You can't perfect golf, and dancing is the same thing.
"There's an element of correlation between golf and dance in motion, timing, rhythm and movement. It's about the hips.
"I would have taken up golf with the same mentality as the dancing - but it remains to be seen if I'd have made any money with it."
'The Putt and Strut' co-host fondly recalled the time he and the former 'Strictly Come Dancing' head judge Len Goodman joined the BBC show's late presenter Sir Bruce Forsyth on his Wentworth Estate in Surrey for a round of golf.
The 'Strictly' judge - who was never given a shot at winning by the TV legend - remembered: "We went out and played golf.
"Then we went back to Brucie's [and had] afternoon tea, and we were a bit giddy, to be honest, it was the most wonderful day.
"I couldn't believe it.
"I was fortunate enough to become firm friends with Brucie for many, many years, and we did lots of things together, and we played a lot of golf and not once did he let me win.
"I did win a few times, but I had to work on it - [he was] very competitive."
Anton - who is married to Hannah Summers - hopes the podcast will get more women involved in golf.
He added: "My wife started playing just after we met - she felt she'd better get interested. And she's great.
"She has an interest in golf."
'Putt and Strut' is available on Global Player and all podcast streaming platforms.
English (US) ·