Strictly Come Dancing's Anton Du Beke: 'What did I blow my first winnings on? The bus fare How did your childhood in Sevenoaks, Kent, influence your work ethic? Well, it was more down to my mum and dad, who both had an amazing work ethic. My father is Hungarian and moved to Britain during the uprising and my Spanish mum comes from Galicia; they moved here at the end of the Fifties. They both came from rural areas looking for work and each held down two jobs. I don't think my mum ever had a day off sick in her life. Mum did all sorts of things, including working as a nurse in a nursing home, though my earliest memory is of her working in the bus canteen while dad was a head waiter, then later one worked in the same factory as me making aircraft components. What did you blow your very first competition winnings on? Probably on the bus fare home! There is not a lot of money in competition dancing. There never has been, it's all about winning the trophies really. It's not like golf. Was there ever a time when you struggled as a dancer and worried about how you were going to pay the bills? Absolutely, we worked by day and danced by night. As soon as I started dancing, at 14, I knew I was always going to be a professional dancer. My dance idols were always Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. I would work to pay for my dancing and I never had enough money because I wanted lessons and needed the shoes, the suits and the travel to compete. Dance is an expensive business so it's very difficult and you always spend more than you've earned. At one stage I walked around with a hole in my shoe; with just a couple of pounds left in my pocket towards my next lesson, I couldn't even afford to get them repaired. Instead, I had to stick a piece of cardboard in my shoe. Are you a spender or a saver? I think I'm a spender. I try to save but I'm not very good at it. What have been your best and worst buys? My bespoke tail suits are an investment because they're part of my job so, although they cost a few quid, it is through them that I can earn a living. As to the worst buy, well, I've spent so much money over the years badly that I try not to worry for too long otherwise I'd give myself a breakdown. Once, I couldn't afford a decent car so I bought a 20-year-old Triumph Dolomite for £150 - back in 1992. It got me precisely four miles and blew up when I was halfway up the M1, not going particularly fast. That wasn't a very good buy and when you don't have £150 it's a lot of money. Is Strictly your proudest achievement? Well, I find my proudest achievements were all stepping stones because when you compete you have wonderful moments. When I made my first major final that felt wonderful, as did winning my first low-level competition. At the time it felt massive because there was no guarantee I was going to achieve anything. So when you do it, it feels amazing and then you want to move on to the next thing. For example, this is the fifth year that Erin [Erin Boag, a fellow Strictly professional] and I will be touring our show and for us it feels like a remarkable achievement. Ten years of Strictly is also fantastic and I'm always absolutely thrilled to be invited back. You and Brendan Cole are Strictly's only male survivors from the first series. How long can you keep going? For as long as they keep asking us, we have no intention of stopping. An even greater achievement is Erin, who is the only girl left from series one. Every time we go on, Brendan and I shake hands and exchange a little nod because we're still going strong and thrilled to be doing so. What's the best thing about being famous? For me it's the response from everybody, with nice people coming up to chat and saying lovely things. If your fame and fortune ended tomorrow, would you still be happy? I'd be thrilled that I'd been involved in Strictly and had the opportunity to have had the great time I've had. You're famous for partnering some of Strictly's comedy contestants. Is that written in to your contract? No, they just pair me with someone they think will work as a couple. Do I mind never landing the favourite? No, there's no rhyme or reason why anyone should be better than someone else because the producers don't know and one contestant might just grasp it and do wonderfully. I don't think there's a favourite before we start, though once we get into it you can see pretty quickly who they are. I never really mind who I get and because of that I enjoy it, because I just want to have fun. I know it sounds rubbish but my partners have all been genuinely great and a joy to spend time with. I'm lucky to get the interesting characters and strong personalities because then we can have fun. It's not about being the best dancer; it's about putting on a great show. I'd love to have had Kara Tointon because I'd have had a great time with her, but then I wouldn't have got Ann Widdecombe, so there's always a pay-off. We might have won but I wouldn't have had the joy that I had with Ann - it would have been a different kettle of fish. What's been your biggest extravagance? Becoming a member at Wentworth golf club was a bit of an indulgence. Last year I travelled to the US Masters. My pal and I went over and watched all the greats and it was just tremendous. It was sort of on my bucket list and for many years I'd turned up at Wentworth and played as a guest, but I've always wanted to become a member of a golf club, so this year I thought why not? Do you prefer to use cash, debit card or credit card? I am a credit card guy for ease and that's probably the main reason I'm such a spender rather than a saver. My credit card is like a never-ending pocket. No, I'm not really interested as I have no understanding of it, so I think it's probably best to stay away. Is there anything you'd change about the way you do business? No, but I'd have bought property the moment I started working. I'm not very good at discussing money so I get someone to do all that for me and that's the best way for me. I wish I could be a bit more savvy but that's not really my style. What's the most memorable fan mail you've ever had? Oh God, there has been lots, but the best letters are from lads or girls telling me they've been inspired to take up dancing after watching me. One guy wrote: "I met my wife dancing and she's the most wonderful woman I've ever met and it's only because I was inspired by you to start dancing." I love those sorts of letters and if I can feel like I've inspired somebody I feel really honoured and touched. What's the biggest tip you've ever given a waiter? I can't remember the biggest but I do know one thing, I'm definitely an over-tipper. Money makes anybody happy and anyone who denies that fact is not telling the complete truth. It's not the root of all happiness but I tell you what, you'll always be happier with money than without. Best thing about money? Options. What's your favourite charity? I don't have a particular favourite but I'm a sucker for children's charities. They all need help and I don't know why they resonate slightly more, but for me it just feels slightly sadder that children are struggling before starting their life. I go to lots of functions and dinners and see all these wonderful charities so I try to raise awareness and fund-raise for as many as I can. My attitude towards it is if I can help, I will try to do my best. Anton Du Beke's new book, 'B for Ballroom', is out now and 'Anton & Erin Go to Hollywood - A Salute to the Golden Years of the MGM Musicals' will run from January to March next year