Strictly Come Dancing legend Anton Du Beke once flirted with the idea of becoming a professional golfer before his dancing career soared.
The skilled 58 year old, who has an impressive handicap of one, combines his passion for golf and conversation in his brand-new podcast ‘Putt And Strut,’ co-hosted with Sky Sports presenter Sarah Stirk.
Anton, reflecting on what might have been, said: “I could quite happily have taken it up as a profession if I’d stumbled into it before dance, because the two are very similar. You’re always striving for the next level. You can’t perfect golf, and dancing is the same thing.”
He believes his success on the dance floor has helped hone his golfing skills, explaining: “There’s an element of correlation between golf and dance in motion, timing, rhythm and movement. It’s about the hips.”
Anton added: “If I had gone down the golf route, I would’ve approached it with the same fervour as dance – but whether it would’ve paid off, well, that’s another story.”
Alongside Sarah, 46, who recently invited Mirror journalist Tom to try out the golf simulator, they aim to challenge the gender stereotypes in golf with their podcast, which features celebrities such as Judy Murray and James Nesbitt.
Discussing the sport’s daunting image, Anton remarked: “It’s that hurdle, that intimidatory factor. Everybody feels like it’s a very male-orientated sport, and it sort of is, but not.”
The dad-of-two revealed how the fairways have become more than just a sports venue but also a place for brainstorming his latest projects, as the family man prefers not to mix work with home life due to his young twins.
He shared: “I don’t do any sort of work at home… because of the children. So when I get on to the golf course, it’s great. It’s where I do everything. I learn lyrics, I think about dance styles, putting shows together.”
Reminiscing over rounds with his late hero Bruce Forsyth, he added: “We played a lot of golf and not once did he let me win.”
Anton and Sarah’s Putt & Strut podcast is available now on Global Player and all major podcast platforms.