Anton Du Beke says the spirit of his forever “hero” Sir Bruce Forsyth will be by his side as he walks out on stage for his solo show.
Anton Du Beke says his hero Sir Bruce Forsyth's spirit will be by his side during his solo show at the London Palladium
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judge is set to perform at the London Palladium next year, and the 56-year-old star has no doubts over his entertainer skills because he knows the late TV presenter will be alongside him.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “I am truly going to have Brucie by my side as I walk out on stage. He will be with me. It’s going to be so great and it will be so emotional as well … Bruce has been my hero forever.
“One of my reasons for doing 'Strictly Come Dancing' was because Bruce was hosting and he was always my hero.
"We became good friends and that was a real highlight for me, in my life, to be able to call Brucie a friend. That was the best … everyone misses Bruce."
Legendary entertainer Bruce first shot to fame in the 1950s through ITV series 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium’ and enjoyed a glistening career that spanned eight decades.
The former 'Strictly' host died on August 18, 2017, aged 89.
At the time of his death, his wife Lady Wilnelia Forsyth-Johnson - who married Bruce in 1983 – organised a private memorial where her husband made a name for himself.
A blue plaque mounted on the wall below the stage remembered Bruce as a national treasure and one of the UK’s greatest entertainer, who hosted his first ever one-man show in 1958 until his final show in 2015.
Lady Wilnelia previously couldn’t contain her excitement over Anton’s gig, and said it would bring great joy to Bruce’s family.
She said: "I'm sure he'll be smiling from heaven, thinking it's about time. He'd have been thrilled - he not only saw Anton as a judge, but as a presenter.
"He's got this great sense of humour, just as Bruce had. The pair of them always had jokes about Bruce being his love child."
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