He added: “I hate woe is me, I never sought any sense of confirmation or encouragement from him and I never did anything I did because of him. This is a delightful book written by Strictly Come Dancing stalwart Anton du Beke and, without the benefit of a synopsis, I have to admit this is why I chose it in the first place. In the author's notes Mr du Beke says he chose London in the mid 1930s purposely to evoke a bygone age with a variety of people, from the world over and all walks of life. It was an inspired idea because the story oozes charm, romance and intrigue. There are characters to cheer for and to dislike as well as some who leave you guessing up until the end. Raymond de Guise and Nancy’s relationship develops in what could have been a hug of a love story, but by the end I couldn’t muster any care for either of them. I do hope Anton writes more like this - I even think this book would make a wonderful television series along the lines of "Downtown Abbey" but filled with beautiful dancing and glitzy characters - he now has an additional talent of writing and as a debut novel this one really does deserve a "10 from Len"! Anthony Paul Beke (born 20 July 1966), known professionally as Anton Du Beke ( / d uː ˈ b ɛ k/), is a British ballroom and Latin dancer, author and television presenter, best known for being a professional dancer and a judge on the BBC One celebrity dancing show Strictly Come Dancing. His professional dance partner since 1997 has been Erin Boag.

I have only read until the end of the second chapter of this book as this was the extract provided by Reader's First. a b "Strictly Anton Du Beke's life from famous This Morning presenter ex-girlfriend". Examinerlive.co.uk. 18 December 2021. Du Beke said he told people he had “pulled a hamstring” when asked about his leg injury because he was embarrassed. The last third of the novel spoilt the whole thing for me, unfortunately. It felt implausible to me. Raymond de Guise, the main character from Book 1, is offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go to Hollywood and be launched as a star to rival Fred Astaire. However his girlfriend, Nancy, is horrified at the prospect of leaving her job as a chambermaid and her volunteer charity work with London's poor. In fact she can't understand why he would want to leave the Grand Ballroom.The deco decoration at the start of each chapter sets the scene for the ball room and grand hotel where all the action occurs. I enjoyed reading about Raymond de Guise in his first outing and had been looking forward to this follow up, however this second novel felt somewhat rushed and I didn’t feel much for any of the characters this time around. Strictly Come Dancing: Anton Du Beke apologises over racist term". The Guardian. 5 October 2009 . Retrieved 30 December 2020. 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.

Right from the book cover to the delightful and endearing characters this book oozes class and warmth. 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, I ended up in hospital for three days. For a first novel this flows beautifully and it should come as no surprise that the action centres around the dance and dancers of a top London hotel's ballroom. It also looks at the secrets which all the main characters hold close and how they deal with the good and bad things life throws their way in a time which was itself in the first turmoil of great change and tragedy.

Make a Date with Anton!

Trip the light fantastic with this gorgeous, exciting and evocative historical tale set in the 1930s written by Strictly Come Dancing superstar, Anton du Beke. Can this troupe of old-time crooners, dancing girls and magicians possibly pull this off? Especially when they must compete with the 1960's rebellious new bands and revolutionary music? Abandoned by her brother, Evie has no idea if she'll ever be able to wrestle the troupe into a show fit for a queen. Du Beke's regular professional partner is Erin Boag. They met in 1997, and won the 1998 and 1999 New Zealand Championships. They turned professional in 2002, competing mainly in the United Kingdom. Their best result on the competition circuit was in November 2003 when they won the IDTA Classic in Brighton. [8] Strictly Come Dancing [ edit ] Anton du Beke and dance partner Erin Boag in 2008 Du Beke also highlights the political minefield of the era in which this novel is set. There are plenty of name drops in the novel, both British and international royalty are mentioned. These were my favourite parts. I liked how Du Beke covered the time of King Edward and his eventual abdication, the unrest felt at the time, and the new incoming King.

Anton Du Beke to join Strictly judges for new series". BBC News. 24 June 2021 . Retrieved 24 June 2021. The storm clouds of war are gathering, and beneath the glitz and glamour of the ballroom lurks an irresistible world of scandal and secrets.Du Beke has also appeared in a number of Children in Need and Christmas Specials of Strictly Come Dancing. In 2008 he won the Children in Need 2008 special, dancing an American Smooth with Tess Daly. He danced once again with Anne Widdecombe in the 2012 Children in Need special but lost out to Russell Grant and Flavia Cacace. He did however go on to win the Children in Need 2014 special where he and fellow dancer Natalie Lowe taught a group of children how to dance. Du Beke has also reprised his partnerships with Lesley Garret and Ann Widdecombe for the 2004 and 2018 Christmas specials, respectively. He has also danced with Ronni Ancona, Su Pollard, Katy Brand and Denise Lewis in the respective 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016 Christmas specials. In 2015 Du Beke served as a judge on The People's Strictly, a one off version of the show where non-celebrities compete for the charity Comic Relief. In 2020, he reprised his role as a judge for weeks four and five to fill in for Motsi Mabuse who needed to quarantine after travelling to Germany. On 24 June 2021, it was announced that Du Beke would become a permanent judge on Strictly Come Dancing from series nineteen, starting in September 2021, replacing Bruno Tonioli. [9] Laila Rouass comment [ edit ] Keen to rehearse, the company heads to the Seagate Theatre under the tutelage of the company's owner, Ed Forsyth. This is Ed's last hoorah before retiring and he's keen to leave on a high. But his son, Cal, has absconded, leaving his twin sister, Evie, to help manage the company after their mother's death. Hoping to display her best trapeze performance ever, she's also desperate that the entire troupe should succeed. If only her father hadn't brought in another old-timer... Billy Rich has come all the way from Hollywood, invited to be their main star. Billy is full of bluster and ego and his much younger wife, the mysterious Magdalene, doesn't help.