ANTON DU BEKE

I go through money like a bloke with three arms.

If things don't go fantastically, you just have to deal with it.

The world would be a better place if everyone learned to dance.

Because we had no other relatives living in the U.K., me, my parents and my siblings continuously journeyed abroad to bond with our extended family.

Wherever I can get a fast track, I'll try to because I can't stand the airport experience. If you can afford priority boarding, then do it. Nobody wants an unpleasant experience before it starts.

I don't profess to be Luciano Pavarotti, but I can hold a tune.

I've been playing golf as long as I've been dancing, since I was 13 or 14.

The Fred Astaire movies made a huge impression on me.

My father is Hungarian and moved to Britain during the uprising, and my Spanish mum comes from Galicia; they moved here at the end of the Fifties.

I have no trouble with my sleep, but the amount I have varies from four to eight hours, depending on my schedule.

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.

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 work out in the gym three times a week on top of my dancing, so I have to eat a lot to keep my weight and energy up: a big breakfast, and little and often throughout the day.

I enjoy watching talented cooks bringing together ingredients into a fabulous dish.

When you dance together, there's a fabulous interaction. It's quite intimate. You're touching your partner, leading them. Learning how to behave in that person's proximity is a skill. I love it. I can't imagine tiring of it.

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.

I hated most music in the 1970s, especially disco, but Bowie was edgier.

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.

I've become a produce snob. I like to eat food that's in season.

Give up smoking. Don't get so fat. 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.

I want to do lots of exciting, varied, interesting things. That's what I want to do.

I always enjoy the process, meeting somebody new and spending time with them and becoming friends with them. That has always been the joy of 'Strictly' for me, so I enjoy every year.

A dancer's career is short - you just keep going until your legs pack up.

I've never worried about being rich or famous - for me, it's all about the dancing.

My perfect morning is spent drinking coffee, eating porridge and reading the paper at a local cafe.