Zitat des Tages von Anton du Beke:
The Ritz in London has an old-fashioned charm, with waiters wearing tails and white gloves. The dining room is exquisite, with immaculate service and ornate details.
I think I've got a bit more to offer than just dancing. It might just be me that thinks that, but it's worth saying.
My goal is to be the best TV presenter, the best entertainer, the best singer. I still want to be the best dancer. I want to be the best at everything I do.
A dancer's career is short - you just keep going until your legs pack up.
It may sound cliched, but 'Strictly' is a real journey. I try to encourage my partner to stay in as long as they can, but above all to enjoy it.
I'd like to do a kind of 'Sunday Night At The Palladium'-style variety show on the BBC.
I went professional with my partner, Erin Boag, 11 years ago, and we had success competing round the world, but appearing on 'Strictly' has changed my life.
I think cookery shows have become so sophisticated, and everyone's so marvellous at it, but there are people like me who aren't into the cooking malarkey, who still don't know how to boil an egg for three minutes.
I do watch what I eat, but I don't make it myself. When I eat out, I just have to make sure the things I buy are good and healthy.
So much illness is self-induced - which I can't stand. And I'm not a good nursemaid. Don't call me if you're ill.
Frank Sinatra was a great singer, but my favourite is Sammy Davis Jr. He had incredible versatility in his voice, often doing impressions of people. It's always going to be classic, and you'll never get bored listening.
My goal was to become the best dancer in the world and, because I started late, I always had this feeling I was playing catch-up, so I've been a bit of a maniac most of my life, sort of striving.
I like to get up and get out. Otherwise you end up kicking about, and it's easy to flick the telly on; then before you know it, it is 11 A.M. and you haven't done anything.
Mum was always hard-working. She came over from Spain and bought her own council house.
I don't profess to be Luciano Pavarotti, but I can hold a tune.
I'm busier than ever and it's led to new opportunities. But I've never worried about being rich or famous - for me, it's all about the dancing.
The worst question is, 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' I don't know. Variety is the spice of life. That's the best way to describe it.
Since being involved in 'Strictly Come Dancing,' my life has changed completely. I can't walk down the street without women throwing themselves at me, I usually wouldn't mind, but they are of a certain age. Hopefully, after this series, they will bring their daughters!
I'm happy to dance with anyone, to be honest. I've had some great partners, who have all been talented. But not all of them at dancing.
With the media how it is these days, people expect to know everything. I don't talk about my girlfriend because essentially she doesn't want to be talked about.
As I grew up, I wasn't a great buyer of albums, but I really liked 'The Jam.' I like good musicians and loved the energy of their songs.
I don't like the Samba; it's nonsense. With a lot of these Latin dances I can't really understand what they're all about. I like the Rumba and the Paso Doble but the others I could take or leave.
I was one of those people who just flitted about in life. I had no plans and no sense of direction.
The world would be a better place if everyone learned to dance.
Having been part of this wonderful show ever since series one, I know all too well what it's like to perform to the nation on the famous 'Strictly Come Dancing' dancefloor.
I've been playing golf as long as I've been dancing, since I was 13 or 14. I play off six. I like to get out on a golf course as often as I can.
I get really very upset when I'm voted out, and I feel very disappointed.
Because we had no money when I was growing up, when I started dancing, I wasn't allowed to be frivolous - my mum made me go to every lesson because she was paying for it.
As soon as I left school at 16, I worked in a factory making aircraft components.
I've become a produce snob. I like to eat food that's in season.
You spend your life having lessons, practising and competing as an amateur, and working during the day. As you get to the top end of the amateur field, you try not to work anymore; you earn your living through dancing, maybe by doing a bit of teaching. It's an ongoing life's work.
Being fit is the easiest part of being a dance professional. I used to just throw on a backpack full of rocks and run up a hill. You don't even have to go to a gym.
Ballroom dancing: it's a wonderful thing at so many levels because you've got to follow the rules. They used to call those rules etiquette once upon a time, but you don't really have that any more.
I worked as an interior designer. I worked as a furniture salesman. I worked as a financial adviser. I worked as a painter and decorator - that wasn't for very long. I was a baker for about four-and-a-half years.
I enjoy watching talented cooks bringing together ingredients into a fabulous dish.
I have no trouble with my sleep, but the amount I have varies from four to eight hours, depending on my schedule.
