Anton Du Beke has been inundated with messages from his fans after he opened up about the harrowing childhood abuse he faced at the hands of his father during a candid interview with Kate Garraway.
The Strictly Come Dancing judge and former professional dancer appeared on the ITV programme to discuss his career, personal life, and upbringing when he shared that he had suffered trauma as a child and was stabbed in the stomach and leg by his father on Boxing Day.
The beloved BBC star revealed to Kate that he hadn't before shared this with his closest family and friends.
After news of Anton's story hit the headlines, the Strictly star reposted Kate Garraway's promotional photo on Instagram, which prompted Anton's fans to flood to the comments section and send well-wishes and messages of support to him.
One person wrote: "Ohhh how sad… sorry to read this morning…. keep strong very sad for you… it's out now hopefully it will give you some space to heal your hurt. All the very best Anton."
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© Callum McCarronAnother said: "Think I'll laugh and cry at the same time! Looking forward to it though. You're a special man." Meanwhile, a third posted on Twitter: "I'm heartbroken that Anton Du Beke went through this. There are many who carry horrors of abuse in their life, from the past, or even which they live currently.
"The thing about abuse is, at the time you accept it, often as you feel you have no other choice you're older it comes back at you and can haunt your life, in flashbacks, nightmares, trust issues, anxiety and depression."
© Karwai TangSpeaking on the interview programme, which will air on Wednesday on ITV1, Anton revealed: "The alcoholism and the violence [was] towards me, because I was a boy, a young man I suppose.
"You've got an alcoholic father and a situation where if you're in the house [and he's] drinking then you end up with the fights and stuff. You'd move room to get away from all of it and then he follows you in and the next thing you know the violence starts and then it came to a head one evening, I ended up in hospital for three days. I got stabbed, I've never said this out loud before."
© Jeff Spicer/BAFTAAnton then shared how he waved down a police car on his way to the hospital. "I remember walking out of the house to walk up to the hospital, holding my leg, and a police car drove past, and I waved him down and I said: 'He's in there with a knife'."
Speaking further about his father after his death in 2001, Anton told Kate: "I don't think about him. I never give him a second thought. It does not influence me at all. I hate the thought that anything like that defines you. I hate 'woe is me'."
Kate Garraway's Life Stories airs Wednesday on ITV1 at 9 pm.
