But it also doesn't change the fact that Anton's new name is just a self penned, pretenous version of his old one. The only valid reason for a name change was to make him appear more interesting than he actually is. (Obviously, I can see his logic).


Ahh, therein lies the rub. It's a shame that Anton chose to change the name his parents bestowed upon him.

Aren't all names self-chosen once we move out of babyhood? I don't imagine you were christened The Dandy! Is there only one valid reason for you choosing to be known here by that name? Probably not. I dare say you want to protect your true identity in such a public place. The atavar you have chosen may also reflect how you like to think of yourself, whether based on objective fact or not. Or it may be wholly ironic. Those reasons may equally apply to others, especially those with a sense of humour!
Obviously, you are known by other names in other circumstances, mostly by choice. The same almost certainly applies to Anton Du Beke. But in the context of this forum, which is to do with SCD that name is the clearly relevant one since it is the professional name under which he dances, and has danced for a number of years.

Since you mention that it's a shame that Anton has chosen to change the name his parents bestowed on him, I would add that those who have unhappy and abusive childhoods often have powerful psychological motives for rejecting the names that were inflicted on them at the time when they were powerless to change their own identity. Just saying!

Many people take on another name during their life time - women who marry assume their husband's name by and large and also use another name for professional reasons. others just don't think that the name that their parents foisted on them and in which they had no choice are unacceptable e.g. Marion Mitchell Morrison aka John Wayne and Frances Gumm aka Judy Garland or Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller aka Mrs.Archibald Christie aka Mrs.Max Mallowan aka Agatha Christie.

These ShowBiz types can be a strange bunch, to be sure!

If he was going to change his name, then why didn't he choose something decent? "Anton du beke" is very cringeworthy!

Is it the "du" you object to?

After all, Anton Beke is only a couple of consonants short of what's on his birth certificate.

Bendy I do know he changed his name long before he was on SCD, but he was successful as a professional ballroom dancer as Anton Du Beke before then, or he wouldn't have been asked on the show in the first place. Now he is a well known celebrity in his own right as a result of appearing on SCD and other shows. It's not like he changed his name recently and honestly I think it sounds a little petty to keep calling him Tony on this forum.

Got to say I'm another one who thinks the Tony thing is petty and downright rude. It is a variant of his given name and if he chooses to use it - whatever the reason for the change and even if it had no connection to his given name - then it is rude to keep on using something else. My best pal's brother was always Billy but when he got older he choose the "less babyish and cooler" Will. Even now I (many years later) sometimes have to force myself to call him by that name but to insist on calling him Billy would be ignorant and frankly disrespectful.
And he may or may not still be known to his friends in everyday speech as Tony but this forum is to do with SCD where Tony does not compete but Anton does so that should be who is talked about

I really am finished on this subject but would say that he was middle of the road as far as achievement goes none of the really big Uk ballroom couples have been on SCD - his success has really come out of SCD more than anything else

In YOUR opinion but not mine - and that is the problem with DS and I leave you to your little thread

Over reacting much ?

Honestly! I leave the boards for a few days and now a Jive thread has turned into a 'Tony Beke' thread, fascinating.

I think that in this world we should all 'speak as we find'.

Bendy and others who knew Anton years ago, have a rather low opinion of his character. Yet I would say nearly all (if not all) of his celebrity partners have had very good relationships with him, certainly he is adored by some of them.

I just do not believe that he is a bad person now, we all change as we mature, he obviously still says the wrong thing ALOT, but I find most of it rather endearing.

I love watching his ballroom and enjoy his latin for probably all the wrong reasons!

I accepted long ago Bendy's opinion of Anton and it doesn't bother me at all, she is a knowledgable dancer and I respect her for that. I still think he's a bit special.

But to summarise, very few people in this world are liked by everyone.

Well said and seconded by me and hopefully many more. Now can some get off his case

Oh I do apologise as I had forgotten that only you can express your opinions and us mere mortals should stay respectfully quiet. Please do leave us...then we can continue a reasonable discussion not tainted by your obvious personal dislikes and grievances which tiresomely colour your every post about Anton. Don't let the door hit you on the backside on the way out of our little thread.

Getting back to the dancing.

After all the talk about Anton's jive judging by ITT last night his samba is going to be even worse. Even Laila joked she was better than him at some of the moves. Poor Laila, she is definitely at a disadvantage.

He's tyring to make her feel good about herself, that was obvious to me anyway.

I don't know if its the tactic I'd use, but he's probably tried everything else!
Good luck to him, I'd say.

I'm not a die-hard Anton fan (although I'm not a die-hard Anton anti-fan either) and I think it's blinkin' annoyin' the way he camps up the Latin dances in a mocking way. I agree it's probably because he's not very good at them and I agree it does his celebs a disservice.

However, it's also as plain as a pikestaff to me that the people who are relentlessly calling him Tony are doing it to be deliberately rude and disrespectful and to illustrate their personal dislike of him. Which is finer than fine - like who you like, dislike who you dislike and don't be afraid to say so - until you start saying that's not why you're doing it.

Ah, but the difference is that Anton (well, Tony) only slightly altered his name to make it sound more exotic, all the above examples bear no relation to their original names. I think that's what generally gets on people's nerves. Plus the 'du' part is as pretentious as it gets.



My own name was taken on here when I first joined (& coincedentally, 'The Dandy' was taken on Twitter so I use my real name on there ) So yup, one reason.


Hmm, a slightly dangerous thing to say if it's referring to Tone!

I'm leaving this thread well alone now as I only came on because Bobby'sGirl along with someone I can't remember, launched into a sour, unprovoked, personal attack on Bendymixer which I thought was out of order.

Enjoy the show on Saturday!

I've always been OK with Anton hamming it up in the latin because in the past, it might even have helped his partners. Adopting the Anton du Beke persona I have no problem with - I think its a good idea and has benefitted him on TV.

Unfortunately this year, I think he has got a beautiful partner who has potential in both latin and ballroom, so I take issue with him not having learned to be better at Latin over the last six years, because it could, and I think does, limit Laila's chances.

I'm very pleased to see Anton being so supportive and even putting himself down a little to encourage Laila in the Samba. It doesn't make up for his lack of preparation, but its something he can do now to help her and I applaud him for that.

I'm unsure how you can be CERTAIN that Anton's preference is to be called Anton by those who have known him since before he started using the name (as I'm guessing bendymixer has).

Plenty of performers change their real names for stage names, but prefer to be called by the name that somebody has known them by longest.

Ringo Starr loathes being referred to as anything but Ritchie outside of his professional life. Elvis Costello's dad calls him Declan. Adam Faith was Terry to his wife (and mistress) til the day he snuffed it in a hotel.

Those demanding that people are called by their newest name may be missing the point a bit.

I was relying on a previous statement by someone in the Anti-Anton camp who made the claim to show Anton in an unfavourable light, on the grounds that someone insisting their nearest and dearest refer to them by a new name that isn't their actual name is somewhat pretentious. (A view with which I wholeheartedly agree, as it happens.)

I imagine that if you are born to a Hungarian father and a Spanish mother you already feel a bit "exotic".

Anthony Paul Beke (which I have been told by someone married to a Hungarian is pronounced "beck" and not "beek" ) just wanted to spice up his name when he entered a glamorous profession. Many many many others in show business have done the same. So what if it's only a slight alteration? It isn't any different in principle from calling yourself Elton John if your birth name is Reginald Dwight.

I just want to make it clear I highly respect bendy's views on dancing and most of her posts on here. My comment was only the subject of Anton's name and age.

I love Bendy and Anton, peace and love! x

a) it's latin so no one is leading
b) the man leads anyway
c) the incident to which you allude the guy was able to keep it going through that dance even though it was bad and it was the ballroom were he wasn't see a.