Anton Du Beke says ‘I would've been heartbroken’ if Strictly partners told him one thing liennhi

BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke

Anton Du Beke has revealed he would have been "heartbroken" if any of his Strictly Come Dancing partners didn't enjoy their time on the show.

Speaking on the My Time Capsule podcast, the 58-year-old, who has transitioned from professional dancer to judge on the BBC programme, emphasised that making sure his dance partners had a positive experience was his top priority. 

He disclosed: "I love the show and I've been doing it since the very beginning. 

"I think it's a great show and I always felt that when I danced with my partners on the show, when I was dancing, I would have been heartbroken if one of my partners had gone, 'I didn't have a very nice time, I didn't like that very much, I didn't enjoy the experience' or 'I wish I'd danced with someone else'."

He added: "I sort of internally felt that really strongly. I wanted my partners to have the best experience and that was my goal really, that was my number one goal."

Anton's remarks about his intention to give his partners the best time come following the BBC's apology to Amanda Abbington after her complaints against Giovanni Pernice. 

The actress had described Giovanni's behaviour during rehearsals as "unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean", accusations he has consistently denied.

Anton used to dance on Strictly, now he's a judge

However, while the BBC upheld her complaints regarding verbal bullying and harassment, the allegations of physical aggression were not. 

Anton seemingly sidestepped a question about Giovanni during his February appearance on Good Morning Britain.

Host Richard Madeley asked whether he would welcome the dancer back, to which Anton responded: "Umm, that's a very good question; I'd prefer to talk about the golf."

He added: "We're going off on tour in the summer, so I'll be seeing him in the summer when we go back on the road. So, I'm looking forward to seeing him again. I love being on stage with him and performing with him, and I've known him for a long time. We've got a wonderful company, as well, so all in all, it's a great show." 

On top of his Strictly related conversations, Anton has been vocal about health issues, specifically endometriosis, influenced by his wife Hannah's battle with the condition, which impacts around 1.5m people across the UK.

Opening up about the condition during a celebrity stint on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?', Anton highlighted its lack of discussion in society.

He revealed: "Before I met my wife, I had never heard of endometriosis. It potentially stops women from having children. It's still not talked about enough." 

Anton has started to raise awareness of endometriosis

Anton continued: "My wife seemed like a person naturally aligned to motherhood, yet a freak of nature had decreed that she wouldn't be able to get pregnant. That always seemed mightily unfair to me. Now, she is the most incredible mother."

The dancer married Hannah five years subsequent to their first encounter at Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey back in 2012. 

Endometriosis UK describes the condition as "when cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) are found elsewhere in the body".

They added: "These cells can grow and change in response to hormones in the menstrual cycle, this can cause inflammation, pain and scar tissue."

The NHS lists symptoms of endometriosis and advises those seeking more information on the condition to consult their GP or an NHS physician.