Strictly star Anton du Beke has said how he will be "side by side" with the spirit of his “hero” Sir Bruce Forsyth for his solo show at the London Palladium.
The BBC judge told how it will be an “emotional” moment stepping out onto the stage of the legendary venue, which has the late presenter’s ashes buried beneath the stage.
He told the Mirror: “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.”
Speaking about their enduring friendship, he added: “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."
The 89-year-old entertainer, whose showbiz career spanned 75 years, died of bronchial pneumonia on August 18, 2017.
His wife Lady Wilnelia, who he wed in 1983, organised a private ceremony at the Palladium, where the star made his name, the following year.
A blue plaque on the wall below the stage says Sir Bruce first hosted Sunday Night At The London Palladium in 1958, and performed his one man show there for the last time in 2015.
It adds that he was "without question the UK's greatest entertainer”.
Puerto Rican-born Lady Wilnelia has previously told how Anton’s new gig as a judge on Strictly brought joy to Bruce's family.
She says: "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.
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"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."
The Palladium show takes place next October.
It’s part of a country-wide tour, which kicks off in April, in which Anton will be joined by special guest singer, Lance Ellington, as well as a live band and dance partners.
"My favourite show of the year, back in the day, was the Royal Variety Performance, so the Palladium has always resonated with me long before I really appreciated the world of dance and theatre," he says.
He is also currently starring in Jack and the Beanstalk in Bromley, Kent.
An Evening with Anton du Beke countrywide tour launches in April 2023, Tickets and all dates can be booked online at www.antontour.com
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