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Showtime – Postponed to 2022 due to Covid-19

My loves,

I hope this finds you and your families safe and well.

I’m sure you’ve all been tuned in to the news with regard to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and how it’s escalating once again across the country.

Safety always comes first, and Erin and I have been in discussions with our tour organiser Raymond Gubbay: we are in agreement that we should, very sadly, postpone our 2021 ‘Showtime’ tour until 2022.

Huge apologies – I’m so sorry to be the bearer of such news, I know we’ve all been looking forward to the tour so much! Erin and I have recorded a special message for you in the video above – do please play it.

If you’ve already purchased tickets, the box office at the venue will be in touch to advise about new dates… and if you haven’t already booked – no time like the present: treat yourself with something special for when all this is over!

We’ll be back, there’s no doubt about that – with a show that’s bigger and better than ever before! …And now that we’ve two years to practise, it’ll be so worth the wait!

Keep tabs on www.AntonAndErinLive.co.uk for further details and news on the rescheduled dates.

Meanwhile, take great care, and keep yourselves safe and well.
Much love,

Him & Me – my 2021 Tour with Giovanni Pernice!

My loves,

It gives me very great pleasure to announce a brand new tour for summer 2021: ‘Him & Me‘ – with my very good friend and Strictly favourite, Giovanni Pernice!

This has been two years in the making, plans have been afoot… but we’re now all set to bring a fabulous evening’s entertainment to a theatre near you!

Dates are from 17th June to 14th July 2021 – there’ll be dancing, singing, and general repartee – and I for one can’t wait!

Click through to antonandgiovanni.com for all the dates and details – booking opens on 1st September, and I’d be delighted if you could join us!

Much love,

Showtime – Anton & Erin’s 2021 Tour!

Join Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag – the nation’s favourite ballroom couple – on their brand new tour for 2021: Showtime!

SHOWTIME is a glittering celebration that pays tribute to some of the world’s greatest icons of entertainment!

Anton & Erin present world class dance inspired by an array of classic performers including Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Liza Minelli, Elton John and many more… with stunning costumes, fabulous live vocals, a high-energy West End dance ensemble and a sensational 23 piece orchestra!

Get ready for Anton and Erin, it’s Showtime!

‘Showtime’ runs from the 22nd January to the 3rd April 2021. Tickets go on sale from today, Friday 12th June 2020 – check www.AntonAndErinLive.co.uk for further details and more photos… and visit www.raymondgubbay.co.uk for all online booking links!

Erin and I are so very excited about this new tour and we hope you’re looking forward to it as much as we are!

Much love, and stay safe,

Fit at 50 – Exercise with Anton on YouTube – live at 3pm each day!

My loves,

Hot on the heels of launching my daily online dance classes, ‘Elevenses with Anton‘, I’d very much like to invite you to join in with another online class…

Each day at 3pm during the current lockdown I’m broadcasting my exercises live on my YouTube Channel. There’s even livechat too, so you can message me on air. And if you can’t make 3pm, you can still watch and enjoy the recordings at your leisure!

Here’s first session – it’s actually my pre-show warm-up — what I use each time before going on stage – so I hope you enjoy it!

More sessions are available to watch here in the Fit at 50 Playlist… with a new session added each day after the 3pm livestream!

There’ll be cardio…

…floor work…

…leg work…

…stretches…

…live chat…

…and fun for all!

I so hope you can join me, it’s lots of fun, and there’s quite a community building among the live chatters, too – just marvellous!

Do subscribe to the YouTube Channel to keep up to date with all the new videos — and don’t forget, if you have the YouTube App on your phone, you may be able to beam the video to your television for the full-screen experience!

And if this whets your appetite for getting fit and into shape, I can thoroughly recommend my own Personal Trainer, Jessica Blake to take these exercises on to the next level with you on a one-to-one basis – she’s marvellous, and all credit to her for being the inspiration behind this series of videos! Follow Jessica on Instagram here and you can contact Jessica by email here.

Meanwhile, make a date to join me each day (apart from Sunday, day off!) at 3pm for ‘Fit at 50’… and again for ‘Elevenses with Anton’ at 11am too – let’s all keep moving together!

Much love – and stay safe and well,

Elevenses with Anton – Daily Dance Lessons Live on YouTube

My loves,

I hope this finds you safe and well at this very unsettling time. I’m sure, like me, you’re trying to keep yourself busy, active and staying positive during the lockdown… well, here’s something I’d like to share with you which I’m hoping will help out and give you a lift!

I’d like to invite you to join me for ‘Elevenses With Anton’!

Dance along with me, each morning at 11am – live on YouTube from my living room! Each day we’ll cover a different dance and there’ll be an interactive Q&A chat along the way. It’s the perfect way to keep moving, learn to dance, and stay connected, all together!

If you can’t make it at 11am, you can always watch the lesson afterwards on the YouTube Channel. I’ve been trying it each morning to great effect on Twitter so there’s a marvellous selection of videos there for you to enjoy right away:

Do subscribe to the YouTube Channel – you can then receive reminders and notifications about each new video… and you can also join in the Live Chat too. It’s going to be marvellous! Even more so if you can beam it to your television and go ‘big screen’!

Barring any technical hitches, I’ll be very excited to have you join me at 11am Friday 10th April here on my new YouTube Channel – and each day thereafter (though I’ll have a day off on Sunday). I’ll do my best to answer all questions live on air… I’m sure you’ll do your best to keep me on my toes!

I’m very excited about my new YouTube Channel and have lots of ideas for broadcasts to keep you all entertained. Stay tuned for details of my new ‘Fit At Fifty’ online fitness class – I’ll be starting this very soon! *Now available!… CLICK HERE*

Meanwhile, my loves, I hope you’ll join me for Elevenses!

Stay safe and well,

Week 13 – The 2019 Grand Final!

What a simply spectacular series this has been. My goodness, Strictly Come Dancing 2019 will certainly go down in history for me as a record-breaker! Tens at last… highest scores ever… and going all the way to the Grand Final. In so many ways I feel like a winner… but of course, my real winner is Emma – without whom I’m sure I wouldn’t be writing this now. What a privilege it’s been to perform with her each week – and a thrill for us to receive such wonderful support from you all in return. Over the past 15 years I’ve had the great pleasure of dancing with a succession of fabulous celebrity partners, but this year, the stars really did align!

In our very last week of Strictly 2019, the pure elation of making it through from the Semi Finals into the final three alongside Karim & Amy and Kelvin & Oti quickly turned to nervous excitement as we began to learn and polish not one… not two… but three dances for the Saturday live show!

Now, two of these were reprises of numbers from previous weeks, but the third was a terrific showdance which I felt would play to all Emma’s dancefloor strengths. Whatever was to happen on the night, we were to go out with a bang! This wasn’t a night to hold back – and I had a feeling these three dances would be real crowdpleasers to give us a winning shot at that Glitterball Trophy!

For our first dance, the judges had chosen our Charleston from Musicals week. We’d scored a wonderful 39 in week 11 and had high hopes of raising this to the perfect 40 – even Craig had said that he’d have his ’10’ paddle at the ready!

Thoroughly Modern and packed with swivel. 👏 No wonder the Judges wanted to see @EmmaBarton and @TheAntonDuBeke's Charleston again! #StrictlyFinal pic.twitter.com/w9P1SNGWIu

— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) December 14, 2019

Once again, Emma nailed it. Well and truly. She danced it beautifully – back to the Twenties in our bid for a 40! We both loved performing this number and what a dance to kick off our campaign for the Title. Such a pacey number, it felt like it was over in a flash – and then the audience, along with Motsi and Shirley, were all on their feet!

Bruno said Emma was his “favourite flapper ever!” Craig said the routine was “fantastic” and would be “at home in the West End.” Motsi loved the detail and energy, and Shirley got back on her feet to applaud the “last lady standing,” in one of the most enjoyable Charlestons she said she ever seen… and even said I was fabulous!

We were of course hoping for a nice round 40 when the scores came, but who could grumble at a 39! (Actually, we were both rather relieved that we hadn’t scored less than last time!)

Then came our Showdance: a Fred & Ginger-inspired Hollywood number packed with panache, glamour, glitz… and props – with a cane-ography middle section! Lots of work to do on getting this routine polished ready for the big show, but again, another fabulously fun dance to keep things on a high. Emma came in from on high, too, as she descended from the rafters on a moon! This number was just my cup of tea, a real classic from the golden age… and right up Emma’s street – she loved it – the theatricality of it but also the sheer exuberance of the dance. It really was a delight to perform!

Classic, classy and quintessentially #Strictly. A Showdance full of showmanship from @EmmaBarton and @TheAntonDuBeke. ✨ #StrictlyFinal pic.twitter.com/c98SWWvQbc

— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) December 14, 2019

Another standing ovation – including Shirley once again who said she totally enjoyed it! “Hooray for Hollywood!” announced Bruno… Craig: “all-out, full-on Hollywood – I loved the dance!”… Motsi: “classy, like a timepiece from the good old dancing that we love!”

As for the scores, Craig started with an 8 (sync issues, apparently), but the others all held their 10s aloft! More 10s! I was in heaven!!

Then came our very last dance of the series. My last Strictly dance with Emma. This, I knew, had to be one to pull the heart strings. Together we decided that our week 4 Viennese Waltz to ‘Send In The Clowns’ was the perfect number for our finalé. Something pure, classic, theatrical, and beautifully moving.

💖 "Send in the Clowns…" @EmmaBarton and @TheAntonDuBeke's final dance is full to the brim with emotion. #StrictlyFinal pic.twitter.com/9DcUAEZdSp

— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) December 14, 2019

Every step, turn, phrase, expression, touch, pause… everything was choreographed to convey meaning and enact the story of the song. It was such a pleasure to perform this with Emma, a privilege in fact. Just perfect for us to end our Strictly journey with this, as our last, most beautiful dance – and at the end as the music drifted into rapturous applause, we took a moment to take it all in – before heading over to the Judges for our very last critiques.

Motsi – “Absolutely stunning”… Shirley loved the sensitivity and beauty of the dance, “soft, slow, quiet, stunning.” Bruno said the storytelling was immaculate and acted extremely well – and the dancing was just as good – “Musicality, phrasing… absolutely beautiful!” Craig had apparently found some missed heels, but summed up with “Class beyond class… so very beautiful and gorgeous.”

A 9 from Craig and 3 more marvellous tens gave us another 39. (Alas, no ten from Craig after our three dances, despite our very best efforts. That perfect 40 will have to be saved for another series!)

So, after all three couples had danced their three dances – and what simply fabulous dances they all were – we placed third on the final leaderboard.

What a nail-biting wait we all had whilst the voting and counting was going on! The viewers had the incredible prerecorded group dance to help with the suspense – such a feat of choreography – combining the best bits of everyone’s dances…

…followed by a marvellous performance from Taylor Swift, whilst everything was being organised to announce the winner!

A superstar moment for the superb #StrictlyFinal. Thanks for a glittering performance @taylorswift13. ✨ pic.twitter.com/X4blgQOLg6

— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) December 14, 2019

When the announcement came, it was a rather surreal moment. We’d taken our places and the audience were clapping out a rhythm which I’m sure was only half as fast as our heart rates. I knew there might be a chance of our names being called – I’d never given up hope of that… but I also knew that to reach the final three, and to take part in the Grand Final was such a remarkable achievement. Each couple was truly a winner in their own right, and to be stood there at the final reckoning after pairing up with our non-dancer partners three months prior, was an immense reward in itself.

After a pause which felt like an eternity, Kelvin and Oti’s names were announced, and our 2019 Strictly Champions were crowned!…

Our last-minute arrival has only gone and won the #Strictly Glitterball! Kelvin and Oti are your 2019 #StrictlyFinal winners! 👏🎉 @kelvin_fletcher @OtiMabuse pic.twitter.com/MZ27CGbyPA

— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) December 14, 2019

What incredibly worthy winners indeed. And what magnificent dances they’d given us – not just in the Final… but every single week of the competition without fail. What an achievement!

Karim and Amy are of course to be congratulated too, for all the marvellous and mesmerising performances they’ve given us over the weeks – such a joy to watch.

But, to Emma: my Strictly Queen of Ballroom, my Grand Finalist, my dance partner… my friend: you put your heart and soul into every dance, each a pure joy to perform with you. You’re my winner!

Strictly 2019 has been the most wonderful experience, quite simply because of Emma. Never before have I scored a ten on the show – let alone fifteen of them! Nor have I reached the lofty heights of 39 points – not once, not twice, but thrice! Just incredible. To have a partner who gives her all to each dance is all I could ever ask for on this show… but for that partner to take flight and blossom into a wonderful 10-point Grand Finalist dancer takes Strictly to a whole new level for me. And for that, and her wonderful spirit, enthusiasm and personality, I am both incredibly lucky and incredibly grateful. Long may she continue to dance!

Huge thanks are also due to you, my loves, for all your marvellous support – and votes! – this series. You saved us from the dance off when it was looking dicey on the leaderboard on a number of occasions; we sailed through from one week to the next all thanks to you. It gave us both an incredible boost each week to know that the public was behind us – it meant such a lot, and I’m sure played a huge part in building Emma’s confidence in dancing to allow her acting skills to come to the fore and her performances come to life so very beautifully.

The Glitterball Trophy wasn’t to be, this year… but whilst I’m still dancing, and as long as the BBC keep inviting me back, I’ll keep having a crack at it!

And so, after a very busy and exciting year, I’m looking forward to a lovely Christmas break with my family – and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas too. Hopefully you’ll be whisked away to the Buckingham Hotel for a rendezvous with Raymond De Guise if you’ve received one of my novels – ‘One Enchanted Evening‘ and ‘Moonlight Over Mayfair‘ – as a gift! Enjoy, if so, and do let me know what you think! Likewise with my favourite moments on DVD with “Anton’s Truly Madly Strictly!”

I’ll be back in rehearsals before I know it as Erin and I prepare for our 2020 Tour which runs 24th January to 22nd March as we ‘Dance Those Magical Movies‘ – we so look forward to seeing you in the audience in theatres up and down the country this coming Spring!

I’ll sign off now, but once again, thank you so very, very much for your marvellous support, my loves, and here’s wishing you a wonderfully Happy Christmas – and a truly tremendous New Year!