STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Anton Du Beke and his competition partner Erin Boag are rated in the world’s top 24 ballroom couples and are able to convert anyone with two-left feet into Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

We spoke with the dapper dancer who is bringing his fancy footwork to Preston.

IT is hard to believe that Anton Du Beke had a comparatively late and almost accidental entry in to dancing at the age of 14.

Watching the award-winning ballroom dancer you would think he was practically born to do the foxtrot — his favourite dance.

“I had never really thought about dancing,” says the 42-year-old dance champion. “I only really discovered it when I went to collect my sister from her dance classes at our local dance hall. I was encouraged to stay as there were no other boys in her class.

“But dancing, in those days, was never really something you were advised, by those in the know, to have a career in.”

“Little did they know,” he smiles.

Anton left school at 16 to follow an amateur dancing career. At 17 he decided to specialise in ballroom and it was in 1997 that his partnership with his professional dance partner Erin Boag was born.

After rising success in the industry the couple were one of the first to be asked to join the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, for which they are best known, and have since appeared in all six series.

The couple first made their names in the highly competitive world of international dance competitions as both amateurs and professionals, winning many highly prestigious titles.

Anton, who says anyone can dance if they have enough practice, has taken the lead with many women for Strictly — singer Lesley Garrett, Esther Rantzen and, most recently, Gillian Taylforth, among others.

Modest Anton laughs off claims that he is a ladies’ man and puts his popularity with the fairer sex down to good manners, both on and off the dancefloor. His dream dance partner would be Darcey Bussell, former principal ballerina with the Royal Ballet in London, but he would never swap his professional dance partner.

And now that Strictly is finished on our screens for another season, the dancing couple are on the road with their very own tour, Anton and Erin Cheek To Cheek, coming to Preston in March.

“Years of practice means that myself and Erin work so well together. It’s all about practic,” says Anton. “I am enjoying the tour enormously. I don’t ever do the Strictly tours. I like to do my own thing and just get on with some old school dancing without all the judging and celebrities and all that.

“We have a live orchestra and do all the old numbers. It’s a fantastic, real old school dancing evening.”

And Anton revealed that even for the professionals it can, and does, go wrong.

“Oh yeah, it goes wrong all the time, constantly.” he says. “Every night something goes wrong, I’d say. It’s all about how you conduct yourself, and handle the situation. Nobody knows what you’re supposed to do so you make out like you were meant to do everything you do. And on this tour it helps that Arlene isn’t there to point it out.”

But the tour, visiting 16 cities across the UK, is proving hard work, he admits. With a show every night and new dates being added all the time due to popular demand, Anton is only getting one day off a week at the moment. So what does he do with his precious spare time?

“Well, today I’m off and I’m having my hair cut and taking all my shirts to the laundry,” he laughs.

Having a healthy lifestyle is very important to Anton. When he is not practising his dance steps he is working on his fitness.

The teetotaler’s hobbies consist of going to the gym, rounds of golf — he plays off a handicap of just six — and working out with his personal trainer.

Off the dancefloor Anton has been presenting cookery show Step Up To The Plate but he quite unapologetically admits that he is a terrible cook. He dines out in restaurants (healthy ones of course) every day and never cooks for himself.

“I don't know how to cook at all and am not interested,” he says. “But I’ve become a bit of a produce snob since doing the show. I don’t like out-of-season vegetables and things like that. But there's nothing in my fridge except milk and fruit juice.”

If he wasn’t a dancer Anton says he would be doing something sporty.

“I’m a sports nut,” he says revealing his career ambitions are to be involved in some sort of sports events and possibly a TV programme in the future. But not a reality TV show, he insists. So don’t expect to see him on Celebrity Big Brother any time soon.

“No way they are not for me, I don’t think I’ve got the wardrobe, I’d be far too overdressed!” he adds.

l ANTON AND ERIN CHEEK TO CHEEK — Preston Guild Hall, March 18, 7.30pm. For tickets call the box office on 01772 258 858