Earlier this month I was lucky enough to catch up with Anton du Beke to talk about his love for dancing, his new role as a presenter and his new tour Cheek to Cheek. It's not often I get star-struck but with Anton's charismatic charm and witty persona, I left the interview understanding exactly what Lesley Garret meant when she said: "Every woman in the world should have half an hour with Anton du Beke"* I haven't been near a dance floor for years, yet, I had this overwhelming urge to ignore my two left feet and hit the floor spinning! Strictly Come Dancingburst onto our screens along with Anton and his professional dancer partner Erin Boag in 2004. This dancing duet along with two other dancers on the show, are the only four remaining original dancers to have taken part in every series of the show and Anton has since become an integral part of the show. "I hope Erin and Austin (Healey) win," exclaims Anton who left the competition early on with actress Gillian Taylforth "and I hope I get to reach the finals next time," he continues. Over the past 11 years, Anton and Erin have collected numerous national and international awards for Ballroom Dancing and it's been said that Anton has put the "buzz" back into ballroom and has helped to revive a dance once reserved for the elderly.

After the show ends Anton and Erin hit the road with their new nationwide tour Cheek to Cheekand will be coming to Croydon's Fairfield Halls in January. This show promises to be a glamorous celebration of Ballroom and Latin song and dance. "You will see Erin and I performing along with a huge orchestra. There will be no judges, no scoring and no voting but we will entertain you with a few anecdotes from our time working together," explains Anton.

Anton who is single and lives in London, reveals he first developed a love for dance when he was just 14. "My desire to dance first came about because I thought it would be fun to spend an hour in a room full of girls," he says honestly. "I soon realised I loved dancing and it was something I was good at. I wanted to dance professionally as I felt comfortable doing it, I suppose it was because I was very sporty and dancing ticked all the right boxes. I love the technique, the precision and competitiveness involved in dancing." With his parents full support Anton went on to compete at a high level in his early twenties. Having also trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz and modern theatre dance, Anton along with Erin have become household names and along with their television appearances, are theatre choreographers for the live show Simply Ballroom, which has since been filmed for DVD. Aside from making regular appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, Anton puts his dancing shoes aside every week to present the popular BBC Two daytime series - Step Up to the Plate.From dancing to cooking, Anton is greatly impressed with the chef's that participate: "I am having an enormous amount of fun. The chef's are quite brilliant; they amaze me. Personally I am not a really good cook, but I am a produce snob and I only use fruit and vegetables that are in season.""

When questioned as to whether he would like to step into Bruce Forsyth's shoes when he retires from presenting Strictly Come Dancing,Anton is quick to remind me that "he (Bruce) is the only man for the job. He is the king, my hero, and for me personally, it's been an true honour and thrill to work with him. Phew, for a minute I was worried Anton was going to hang up dancing shoes. I would love to have a dance with Anton, but my chances are slim (if not non- existent), for one I can't dance and two I am not a celebrity. Therefore I will buy Anton's Dance Class(available in February), a step-by-step dance book and DVD, which is packed with information, photographs, illustrations, tips and techniques for dancers of every level and ability. "Anyone can learn how to dance, even you" says Anton - maybe there is hope after all for training my two left feet!