She is the sensible voice of reason on Loose Women and This Morning, but Ruth Langsford has revealed that as she trips the light fantastic with Anton Du Beke on Strictly Come Dancing, she is learning to embrace her more daring side and channel her sultry inner diva. Ruth and Anton, who were speaking exclusively to HELLO! in October 2017, were practising their dance moves, Ruth smoothly swooping into a tango dip and trying to make intense eye contact with her dance partner, but collapsing in a fit of giggles instead.
Speaking about her inner diva, the 58-year-old TV presenter told HELLO! at the time: "I haven’t quite found her yet. She’s still a little shy, but she’s peeping around the door, waiting to come out. What I’ve learned about myself is that I’m more self-conscious than I thought. I’m comfortable being me on TV, but on Strictly you have to get into a role, to perform. So I need to find the actress within me."
Ruth and Eamonn share their Strictly secrets:
Ruth, who has surprised viewers with her daring costumes, has certainly won husband and This Morning co-host Eamonn Holmes’ seal of approval. "I’m enjoying all the costumes," she said. "Never before have I worn such daring, spangly, look-at-me dresses. One of them (the gowns) featured a nude bodice covered in dark blue netting. When I saw myself, I said to Eamonn, ‘I look like I’m naked underneath!’ to which he replied, ‘I know, it’s lovely, isn’t it.’"
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Ruth and her dance partner Anton in training
As king of the ballroom Anton puts her through her paces, Ruth spoke of how thrilled she is with her newly-toned physique. “I never weigh myself, but my waist is coming back and my inner thighs are stronger," she said. "When I was learning the Charleston it felt as if I was in an all-day aerobics class. I’m pleased my stamina is holding up because I was concerned about keeping up with the younger ones. But actually I’m doing all right. I’ll be as fit as a flea by the end of it, hopefully with a little rock-hard bottom and thighs that don’t wobble."
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The pair perform on Strictly in 2017
Describing 52-year-old Anton as "a fabulous dancer and a dream partner", Ruth said: "Anton is so funny. He reminds me a lot of my husband in terms of banter. We share a similar sense of humour, which is why I’m so thrilled he’s my partner. Anton’s a good teacher and we work hard, but he makes everything so much fun. He’s intuitive, too. He knows instinctively when I’m tired or struggling or about to cry. That’s when he’ll stop and say, ‘Let’s go and get a cup of tea.’ So he senses what I need, when I need it. He’s a fabulous dancer and a dream partner."
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Ruth said husband Eamonn loved her costumes
The mother-of-one also revealed that Anton is a doting daddy. "We talk about all sort of things, too, as we’re from the same generation. He tells me about his gorgeous babies and shows me pictures of them and his lovely wife Hannah (Summers) all the time," she said. Proud Anton, who became a first-time dad to fraternal twins in March 2017, told HELLO!: "The babies are doing amazingly. I love being a dad. They sleep through the night and, if they do stir, Hannah jumps up to see to them. But when I don’t have to leave early, she goes to the gym while I look after them. It’s lovely. I love being a dad. It is incredible. The best thing ever." The Prince Charming of the ballroom is full of praise for Ruth, too. “She’s an absolute beauty on the dancefloor,” he said. “What’s great about Ruth is that she gives it her all.”
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Eamonn cheered on his wife at the live shows
As well as cheering her on in the Strictly studio every week, her greatest fans – husband Eamonn, 58, and their 16-year-old son Jack – are giving Ruth help at home, too. “Jack has good rhythm and has been dancing around the hallway with me,” she said. “I was worried he might feel embarrassed about me waltzing around the dancefloor with someone who’s not his dad, but he’s been very supportive. In fact, he and Eamonn are more nervous than I am before a show. I’m always being asked if Eamonn would ever do Strictly. Well, he’s got two new hips now, so who knows?”