The daughter of the tennis star Boris Becker has won the final of Germany’s equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing with a record number of votes.
Anna Ermakova, the 23-year-old offspring of the Wimbledon champion and the Russian model Angela Ermakova, triumphed on Let’s Dance on Friday evening with what critics described as a “breathtaking performance” over the course of a series during which she scored the full 30 points on 11 occasions, breaking a previous record.
The newspaper Bild said Ermakova’s main motivation for taking part in the show had been to establish an identity for herself in her own right beyond her parents’ infamous brief encounter in a side room at a London restaurant, where she was conceived.
“She wanted to show above all that she’s more than just “that daughter from … ”, the tabloid said. For years, Ermakova, who has previously worked as a model, has been referred to as the “baby from the broom cupboard encounter”.
Ermakova, who executed skilful moves with her dance partner, Valentin Lusin, and cut a striking figure in an array of stunning dresses, wooing the audience in particular with a freestyle performance as Alice in Wonderland, a passionate tango and a slow waltz, said she was overwhelmed by the reception.
“I came from England to Germany in order to dance. I never thought I’d be welcomed with such open arms,” she told the presenter of Let’s Dance, in a mix of German and English, visibly moved.
She said she had initially abandoned her dream to become a ballerina in order to pursue an art history course in London, but hoped to pursue a dancing and acting career on the back of her success, saying she had already received offers.
Ermakova told the broadcaster RTL that rather than professional dancing, she would “prefer to go in the direction of show business. I love to perform and to make people happy.”
Becker is trying to restore his reputation following his recent deportation to Germany after being released from what he has described as a “brutal” experience in a UK prison where he served time for hiding millions of pounds in assets and loans. He sent his daughter a video message via Instagram before the final. In it he praised her personality and told her she had won the hearts of Germans, who were sharing the thrill with her.
“Whatever happens, you’ve already conquered the hearts of the Germans – you’ve taken them by storm. Your talent, your discipline, your performance and more – your personality are amazing. And I couldn’t be prouder,” he said.
Becker had initially failed to accept he was the father of Ermakova, his third child. Eventually a DNA test proved he was. In a recent two-part documentary, Boom! Boom! The World vs Boris Becker, which premiered at this year’s Berlin film festival, he spoke openly to Alex Gibney about the episode referred to as “the broom cupboard affair”, which became a defining moment in the history of tabloid journalism.
In the interview, he said rather than a broom cupboard, he would describe it as a “small back room” of the luxury London restaurant where he and Angela Ermakova had set eyes on each other in 1999. Previously, in his 2003 autobiography Hold On, Stay a While he referred to it as “not an affair” and “just poom-bah-boom”. He said the two parted without exchanging contact details and he had thought nothing else of it. He admitted he had had sex with Ermakova, then a waitress, only hours after his pregnant then wife, Barbara, had gone into hospital with contractions. He had a couple of beers before heading to the upmarket Nobu restaurant, meeting Ermakova.
Eight months after the incident he received a fax at his Munich office in which Ermakova asked for a meeting and announced he was to become a father. After long denying he was her father, despite the striking physical similarities between them, namely her red hair, he later pledged to visit Anna regularly, stating: “I will learn to love her.”
Following the release of the documentary last month, Angela Ermakova expressed annoyance that he would not stop talking about how her daughter was conceived. In a statement on Instagram she wrote that “whatever mistakes he makes, whatever pain he causes to others, he never accepts the guilt, and instead blames his victims”.
According to reports, in her contract with RTL Ermakova said if her father’s name was mentioned during the show the broadcaster would face a fine.
For the occasion of Germany’s Father’s Day last week, Becker posted a rare picture of him, his daughter and Angela Ermakova on Instagram taken in London in 2020, along with pictures of his other three children.
