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Anton Du Beke has had a hugely successful career, but has also faced some tough moments in his personal life. The 59-year-old started out as a dancer on hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing when it launched back in 2004, taking over as a judge in 2021 when Bruno Toniolo exited. He's not just a whizz on the dance floor either. He took over presenting BBC game show Hole in the Wall from Dale Winton in 2009, and has even released his own music. Read more Craig Revel Horwood's age-gap fiance and comments on sexuality after marrying a woman His debut studio album, From the Top , reached number 21 on the UK Albums Chart. But what do we know about the star away from his career? Below we look at the reason he changed his name, the harrowing moment he was attacked with a knife by his father, and his comments on his wife's cruel health condition. Anton was born Tony Beke, but didn't feel his name suited his careers. He previously explained how he had made the change "from Tony Beke, who grew up on a council estate" in Kent to "Anton Du Beke, The Show Man". He said: "I wanted a new start and a new beginning and I wanted to leave what went before, behind, and then move on with the rest of my life, I just wanted to be me." Anton previously discussed a harrowing childhood experience in which his father attacked him with a knife. He disclosed that following a Boxing Day row at their family residence in Kent, his father stabbed him in both the leg and stomach. Speaking on ITV's Kate Garraway's Life Stories, he revealed he was hospitalised for four days after the assault. He described how his father Antal had turned violent whilst battling alcohol addiction. Describing the traumatic event, Du Beke said: "I got stabbed in the leg and in the stomach because of a fight on Boxing Day and it was an idiotic situation. "I remember walking out of the house to walk up to the hospital holding my leg and a police car drove past and I waved them down and I said 'he's in there with a knife'. "Anyway, they carted him off and I ended up in hospital for three or four days. My only concern was getting back into the studio and dancing and the embarrassment of it." Garraway clarified that Du Beke's father was cleared in court of harming his son and when he passed away, Du Beke did not attend his funeral. Du Beke added: "Everything was about moving forwards, I felt sorry for my mum, this was her husband, she's working two jobs and he chose to drink and be violent, it's just life and you carry on." Du Beke spoke openly about wanting to leave his past behind: "I wanted a new start and a new beginning and I wanted to leave what went before, behind, and then move on with the rest of my life, I just wanted to be me." Anton currently lives in Buckinghamshire alongside his wife Hannah Summers and their two children, twins George and Henrietta. During an appearance on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, he spoke out about his wife, Hannah's health condition. Hannah suffers from endometriosis, a condition "where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other parts of the body". The illness can make it harder for someone to become pregnant and Anton spoke of how the pair had to go through IVF in order to have their family. "I knew I wanted to be with her, I saw her with her nephews," he told host Giovanna Fletcher. "She's so kind and so caring, I just couldn't understand the universe." He continued: "And whoever is upstairs, if anyone's upstairs, looking down and going, 'you are the most perfect person to have children, but I'm not going to let you have any children because I'm going to give you this'. "And I'm going to say, 'you're going to have this endometriosis, and you're going to suffer with this all of your life, chronically, and I'm not going to let you have any children.'" He concluded: "I thought that was peculiar, cruel, and inexplicable and unforgivable. "And if ever I go up to somewhere and meet this person I would say 'I think you're not OK with decisions like this, this doesn't make any sense to me.'"
