Anton Du Beke and his wife are proud parents to two children, however, the married couple have been open about their fertility struggles.
Strictly judge Anton married wife Hannah Summers in 2017, the same year they had children. In March 2017, Anton announced on Instagram that they had welcomed a son George and a daughter Henrietta via IVF. Anton became a first-time father at 50 years old.
Anton Du Beke wife
During an appearance on Loose Women in 2020, Anton discussed the “grueling” process he and his wife Hannah faced during their IVF journey.
“Hannah was diagnosed with endometriosis in her early twenties. Endometriosis is a massive thing for ladies. [As] a man, you look on and it’s one of those things where you go ‘I don’t understand,'” he said.
“For a woman, it affects the quality of your life to a degree, because it sort of comes in three parts. First there’s the excruciating pain, second there’s the swelling. It sometimes makes you look like you’re pregnant, which is quite a perverse thing because people come up to you and say: ‘Congratulations’ and you’re like: ‘Actually, no.’ And it stops you, in many cases, from becoming pregnant. As a man, there’s nothing you can do. All I can do is support, empathise and do whatever I can do.”
Anton Du Beke and wife’s fertility issues
Three years later, Anton opened up again to Kate Garraway on ITV’s Life Stories about their fertility struggles.
“Hannah is everything I thought she would be. I thought she’d be an excellent mum, always knew she’d be a great mum but she couldn’t have children. I thought, ‘Isn’t it funny how nature works in mysterious ways?’ – the person I thought would be an incredible mum couldn’t have children. That’s the sad irony of it all,” he said.
“But as we had IVF, we were able to have them in the end and I’m thrilled for me – because I’d have 100 [kids] by the way, because I love them – but I’m thrilled for Hannah because she is amazing at it.”
Anton Du Beke twins
Outside of having two children, Anton revealed that their IVF experience helped bring them closer together.
“You could say it brought us closer together because it’s a shared experience,” he said. “I use the shared bit loosely as it’s Hannah’s and I’m there as much as I can. I felt like I gave myself up to Hannah… that’s such a ridiculous statement, but I was like: ‘What do you want? The best I can do is support you.'”
Last year, Anton told OK! that being a father is “the best thing”.
He continued: “Everyone thinks this about their own children, but I think they are pretty marvellous. It is all about them, really, that’s what is brilliant about my life.”
Read more: Inside Anton Du Beke’s cosy home life with his wife and twins
Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Spain continues on BBC One tonight, Monday April 1, at 8pm.
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