Strictly's Anton Du Beke admits being 'scared' of Craig and shares tip to avoid criticism

Anton du Beke discusses upcoming show

Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke recently reflected on his start in the BBC show as a professional dancer.

Although he had been a firm favourite of the show since its inception, the TV star finally joined the judging panel during season 19.

In 2021, Anton replaced Bruno Tonioli who stepped down after 18 years to focus on his role as a judge on Dancing with the Stars in Los Angeles.

On Monday, the ballroom icon made an appearance on Morning Live ahead of Saturday’s Halloween special to discuss his past fears.

Speaking to hosts Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones, the 58-year-old confessed: “I always got a bit frightened of Craig Revel Horwood.”

Anton joined the Strictly judging panel in 2021 (Image: BBC)

Anton continued: “He’s got much softer these days. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, he’s turned some sort of weird beardly corner.”

The expert reflected: “In the old days, he was really frightening. You would delay.

“You have that moment where you dance, you dance, you dance, you take your bow, you go over to Tess [Daly] and you stand in front of the judges.”

He added: “I used to delay that bit, so I used to bow, constantly bow and walk over there in the last minute so Craig didn’t have too much to say.

As Helen laughed at Anton’s confession, he interjected: “Or they’d run out of time or they’d miss him out entirely.

“There was nothing more refreshing than missing out Craig entirely, it was like you dodged a bullet.”

After Anton was confirmed as Bruno’s replacement, he couldn’t contain his excitement and exclaimed: “Woohooo! This is BRILLIANT news.

“Everyone knows how much I absolutely love the show and I’m utterly delighted to be continuing as a regular judge.”