Anton Du Beke has thanked supporters for their “lovely messages” after he spoke out for the first time about a childhood incident in which he was stabbed by his father.
The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 57, also praised presenter Kate Garraway for her kindness when she interviewed him for her Life Stories series, where he made the revelation.
In the episode which aired on Wednesday, Du Beke revealed he spent three days in hospital after he was stabbed in the stomach and the leg by his father on Boxing Day while he was living at his family home in Kent.
Born to a Spanish mother and Hungarian father, Du Beke lived on a council estate in Sevenoaks, and discovered his flair for dancing after picking his sister up from the local studio.
Although his mother encouraged his new hobby, his father, Antal, “took a turn” against Du Beke as alcoholism gripped him.
“The alcoholism and the violence…(it was) towards me, because I was a boy, a young man I suppose,” Du Beke said during the ITV chat show.
He explained that his father would follow him through the house and that one evening the violence “came to a head” when he ended up in hospital after being stabbed multiple times.
Du Beke added that the revelations would likely come as a shock to his friends and family, as it is the first time he has spoken about the incident publicly.
On Thursday, the day after the episode aired, Du Beke posted a photo on his Instagram of him and Garraway posing while filming the show.
“My loves, A heartfelt thank you for the lovely messages I’ve received from you all,” he wrote alongside the post.
“I’d also like to thank Kate Garraway for being so kind in the ‘Life Stories’ interview.
“For those of you who have seen it, you’ll know that I talked about some personal childhood experiences during the show.
“If this has affected you, please remember that you’re not alone and there are people you can talk to.”
The professional dancer also revealed he had been working with children’s charity Childline for some years as he shared its contact details and those for the NSPCC.
He praised the work the charities do, describing it “as crucial in keeping children safe and supporting young people and families”.
Du Beke was the longest-serving professional dancer on Strictly, having been a fixture on the BBC One series since it began, until he swapped the dance floor for the judging panel to take over from departing judge Bruno Tonioli permanently in 2021.
Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit https://www.childline.org.uk/.
People with concerns about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.