STRICTLY Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has confessed he doesn't know "half the people" who star on the BBC reality series. The dancer, 56, switched a spot on the professional line-up for the panel during season 18, back in 2021. The Strictly fan-favourite joined the BBC series in 2004 and had a taste of his paddle-waving role in 2020, when he was a judge for two weeks.
During his time as a pro, he was partnered with the likes of presenter Ruth Langsford, actress Emma Barton and politician Ann Widdecombe - yet it appears some of the stars might never have been on his radar. In a candid admission dad-of-two Anton said: "I don’t know half the people who come on Strictly Come Dancing. "But they all turn out to be marvellous.
"For example, I didn’t know of Tasha Ghouri, but she was extraordinarily fabulous. "I had no idea who Joe Sugg was either. In the old days of Strictly, we used to know everybody.
" Tasha found fame on Love Island - yet her relationship with ex Andrew Le Page appears to have fallen victim to the Strictly curse . She told how her man was "getting sick of Strictly" just days before their break-up. Meanwhile Joe, who carved out a career on YouTube, is now dating Strictly professional Dianne Buswell.
Addressing the choices for the Strictly celeb line-up, Anton then added to The Times : "Strictly is not Love Island. "There’s no point seeing gorgeous 25-year-olds dancing fabulously. "We want the celebrity partners to reflect the people who watch the show.
" D.