Anton Du Beke has told how he prefers judging to dancing on Strictly Come Dancing as the ballroom routines were taking a toll on his body.
The judge, 56, returns to the panel for a second year in the new series of the BBC show alongside Shirley Ballas, 62, Motsi Mabuse, 41, and Craig Revel Horwood, 57.
Anton - who had danced in every show since Strictly started in 2004 - said: "I'm loving it. I do watch some of the pros and get a bit of dance envy, thinking, 'I wish I could have been a part of that'.
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He continued: "But judging is so much easier on the knees. My favourite thing about the show is the joy it brings everybody, the joy it brings my family and the joy it brings me.
"I love that feeling of lifting everybody up, which I think was highlighted through lockdown. I can't believe, well I can, it has been going for so long and we have a new audience coming every year."
Head judge Shirley added: "I think people keep tuning in because it's a family affair. It's something to look forward to on cold winter nights. It's a bit of Vegas, glitz and glamour, glitterballs, bangles and beads."
The new series of Strictly had been due to launch earlier this month. It was however postponed by the BBC following the news that Queen Elizabeth II had died on September 8.
It will now be broadcast on Friday evening (September 23). The opening episode will reveal which celebrity has been partnered with each of the professional dancers this year.
Following the pre-recorded launch, the first live show will air on Saturday night (September 24). It will feature the debut dance routines of the couples competing on the show.
The upcoming series will see the likes of Kym Marsh, Will Mellor, Fleur East, Helen Skelton and Kaye Adams take to the dancefloor to compete for the Glitterball trophy.
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