Anton du Beke would never voluntarily bow out from Strictly Come Dancing, his professional dance partner Erin Boag has insisted.
Having transitioned from being a pro dancer to a judge after Bruno Tonioli's departure, Anton's dedication to the show runs deep according to Erin, who is also a former Strictly professional.
Speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, Erin shared: "He was never going to leave as a professional dancer. It was very much the, 'you're going to have to fire me', quite frankly. I think everyone was just waiting for him to get a different position, because he deserved it, for sure.
"He's very professional, he's great at talking, and he's just that, I don't think you could fire him, because I think people would turn off. That sounds really horrible, but I think they would, because he's such a great character on the show."
Erin further pointed out that Anton's history with Strictly perfectly primes him for success as a judge.
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"Professionally, what you have there is you have somebody who's been there for years, who has seen both sides, who knows what it's like to be danced with, somebody that's great, knows what it's like," she added.
"Even more so because he's been given - putting it nicely - the most challenging partners, more than anybody else. As Craig has said, 'I've given out 10 ones, and my time, and six of them were to you', probably with Ann Widdecombe.."
She further admired his empathy towards fellow professionals, stating: "He is not only the most loved, and gains a lot of respect from the professionals, having been on both sides, having experienced what they've experienced. So he knows, as he's watching, if the professionals are in pain because their partner's forgotten their whole routine going around."
Boag also mentioned the deep respect the professionals have for him, knowing he understands their struggles firsthand, reports Birmingham Live.
Throughout his tenure on the show, Anton du Beke dazzled audiences while partnering with a roster of celebrities including Ruth Langsford, Kate Garraway, Patsy Palmer, Gillian Taylforth, Judy Murray, and Jacqui Smith.
*Strictly Come Dancing airs on the weekends on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
