Anton du Beke's Strictly co-stars have thrown their support behind him in hilarious fashion after he was accused of having fake teeth by judge Craig Revel Horwood. The pro dancer channelled Austin Powers during the show's Movie Week – and his new look was so convincing that Craig thought that he must have put in fake teeth for the part, and was mortified when it was clarified that the pro's teeth were all his own. While Craig apologised to the dancer, Anton took it all on the chin and laughed it off. But during Strictly spin-off It Takes Two on Wednesday, his co-stars decided to show their support while also poking fun at the long-standing pro.
Touching on 'teeth gate' as it was dubbed by viewers, host Zoe Ball said: "It would be remiss of me to go through the show without talking about tooth gate, Anton your teammates are coming out in solidarity for you as you can see here." The camera then panned to Alex Scott, Neil Jones, and Amy Dowden, who were all wearing a pair of oversized fake teeth. Zoe added: "Craig absolutely loving your transformation so much so he didn't realise they were your own teeth. It was all rather embarrassing but hilarious!"
Alex, Neil, and Amy all wore fake teeth on It Takes Two
Addressing the incident, Anton joked: "I know. My orthodontist is furious! I mean the money it's cost me. I've never trusted his eyesight over the years quite frankly and I think it just proves what we've all been thinking – he can't see past the end of the desk."
After Saturday night's mix-up, Anton took to social media to reassure fans that he saw the funny side of Craig's mistake. On Twitter, Anton retweeted a status from the official Strictly Come Dancing account, which featured a video clip from the encounter, along with the caption: "The teeth are real. The moment Craig Revel Horwood thought Anton du Beke had Austin Powers pearly whites." Anton and Craig's exchange is sure to go down in Strictly history.
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Anton's partner Emma even joined in on the joke
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Anton's dance partner, EastEnders actress Emma Barton, found teeth gate just as funny. Taking to her own Twitter page after Sunday night's results show – which saw Kevin Clifton and Anneka Rice leave the competition – Emma thanked fans for voting for her and Anton to stay. She wrote: "Thank you so, so much for voting for @TheAntonDuBeke and I.. I haven't laughed so much during rehearsals and then on the night! Teeth gate was hilarious... Saturday night, classic live British entertainment! Perfect!"
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