Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has opened up about how he nearly hung up his dancing shoes before a golden opportunity presented itself on the hit BBC show.

Starting his dance journey relatively late, the 58 year old admitted he was a "lunatic" who was "obsessed" with succeeding and proving his worth.

He began competing with fellow professional dancer Erin Boag, and after their first encounter in 1997, they went on to clinch the 1998 and 1999 New Zealand Championships.

After turning professional three years later, they continued their winning streak. However, Anton confessed he would become "upset" when they didn't win or received negative feedback, sometimes leaving him feeling "depressed".

Looking back on a particularly tough time, he said: "I remember we did a competi

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