Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has shared his thoughts on a modern-day phone habit that really grinds his gears - and he's revealed that his wife is guilty of it too
Anton Du Beke has said he once told his wife to "grow up" after she confessed to struggling with a widespread issue. During an appearance on the My Time Capsule podcast, the 58 year old Strictly judge shared a gripe that particularly irks him, which is related to how people use their mobile phones in public.
Anton is not keen on individuals using their phone's loudspeaker while out and about. He remarked that "everyone's got an earphone" and humorously noted that you can "actually hold these things up to your ear".
This led to a discussion about certain habits associated with contemporary mobile usage. Anton observed that nowadays, people seem reluctant to "like to pick the phone up", something his wife, Hannah Summers, also tends to avoid.
Anton commented: "Young people will be going, 'Phone calls? What's he talking about? We just text and email and WhatsApp. We never actually answer the phone. Are you mad?'".
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He added: "That's the new thing as well. People don't like to pick the phone up. I find that extraordinary. My wife is the same, though, really. She goes, 'Oh, I don't really like speaking on the phone'.", reports Devon Live.
"I just go, 'Grow up, I said. Grow up. Sort yourself out. What are you talking about?'I don't like talking on the phone'."
Anton and Hannah have been married since 2017 after first crossing paths at a golf club back in 2011. They live in Buckinghamshire with their twins, George and Henrietta.
In a touching revelation, Anton Du Beke, a stalwart of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing since its inception in 2004, has shared an endearing family moment involving his children. He recounted how his little ones "burst into tears" upon seeing him dance on television for the first time.
Having begun his 'Strictly' journey as a professional dancer and once ranked 14th globally in ballroom dancing with partner Erin Boag, Anton transitioned to the judging panel in 2021, stepping in for 'Britain's Got Talent' judge Bruno Tonioli.
During an interview on BBC Radio 2, he disclosed: "It's huge. It is wonderful. The first time my children, when they were very little, they saw me dancing on television and I was in the living room, and they saw me dancing on television and they burst into tears."
Anton explained that his children struggled to understand how he could be at home while also appearing on TV, especially with "this other woman in Daddy's arms", emphasising that 'Strictly' has become a significant part of their family life.
In another candid admission, Anton reminisced about the less-than-ideal first impression he made on his now-wife, Hannah. Speaking on the 'White Wine Question Time' podcast, host Kate Thornton quizzed him about his initial attempts to catch Hannah's attention.
Kate recalled: "Apparently the first thing she said to you was weirdo. Because you were hanging around outside a toilet at a golf club event to try and catch her eye, she thought you were odd."
Responding to this, Anton agreed, noting that she did something "that you girls tend to do", which involved avoiding direct eye contact yet still observing him, followed by a gesture where she "did that thing with the hair around the ears".
