Strictly stars Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice tell us about their upcoming live tour
WORDS: ALISON JAMES
Anton and Giovanni . . . On paper it’s not a partnership that immediately screams top double act.
Debonair and ever-so-nice and easy-going, Anton is the happily married father of seven-year-old twins and a national treasure to boot who, in the 20 years he’s been involved with Strictly Come Dancing, has barely had a bad word said against him.
Passionate Italian Giovanni has film star looks, brooding Latin sex appeal, is a ladies’ man and has a reputation for being a bit of hard taskmaster with his Strictly celebrity dance partners.
Then there’s the age difference – Anton is 58 in July while Giovanni is just 33.
Showbusiness is full of surprises, though, and this dynamic duo is one of them. They have a couple of successful BBC travelogue series under their collective belts – the first in Giovanni’s native Sicily, the second in Spain where Anton’s mum hails from.
They went on a smash-hit, nationwide tour with Him & Me together last year, and they’re about to hit the road again with their new show, the aptly-named Together.
But how did they come together in the first place?
“I did try for a long time to do a show with Anton,” Giovanni says. “I mean, the man is a legend! Several years ago, I suggested to him that we should do a show together and he was like, ‘I don’t think it’s the right time – I’m so busy’.
“But then a few years ago, he said the time was right! I was so glad he agreed. I call Anton ‘The Godfather’ because he’s been at Strictly from the very beginning. He’s my best friend.”
It’s clear that there is a great deal of affection between them, with the “bromance” starting pretty much as soon as they met when Giovanni first joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2015.
“Giovanni introduced himself and I thought he was such a lovely boy, Anton recalls. “We immediately became friends. What really struck me was that he immediately understood what Strictly was all about.
“It’s not uncommon for people to come in and want to be the big star of the show. That’s impossible because the show swallows you up. It’s a big juggernaut of a thing.
“What I thought was really interesting about Giovanni – he was only about 24 or 25 at the time – was that when he first came in, I saw him look around and I knew that he had it.
