Strictly’s Anton Du Beke slams response to Priscilla drag performance

Anton Du Beke has addressed the mixed response to the Priscilla Queen Of The Desert drag act which was performed on Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night.

The ballroom professional, 54, branded the negative comments a ‘shame’, after  Johannes Radebe, Gorka Marquez and Giovanni Pernice donned sparkling fringe dresses for the cult hit musical tribute.

Speaking on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Monday, Anton spoke to host Steph McGovern, who said she was ‘upset’ by the response, while they also discussed the cruel accusations that judge Motsi Mabuse seemed ‘drunk’.

‘It’s a shame!’ Anton Du Beke has addressed the mixed response to the Priscilla Queen Of The Desert drag act which was performed on Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night

Anton was quizzed on what he made of the criticism, and said: ‘I don’t know. It’s silly really and it’s a shame. It is a movie and this wasn’t just camp time, we weren’t just frocking up for sake of it – it is the movie Priscilla and if you’ve seen the movie you’ll know what it’s all about…I thought they did a great job of it.’

Steph furthered the conversation by saying: ‘It’s hard though, when you’re getting trolls who send horrible things to you…’ 

‘Don’t read it,’ Anton replied. ‘Easiest thing is don’t read it. It’s the easiest thing to do in the world is to tap away – don’t like you very much – bosh. Just don’t read it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m absolutely marvellous, I don’t need to know the truth. 

‘I do care what people say as we’re in showbusiness and it’s the worst thing. If I have a room of 2,000 people in an audience, I’m concerned about the one person there who doesn’t seem to be laughing at everything I say or clapping every time I dance…it ruins it for myself.

‘You have to do the best you can, perform the best you can and forget about the trolls…They know it’s so damaging because we talk about it so much, and it’s one of those things you can’t say ‘we can’t talk about it’ because we’ve got to highlight it, and it’s easy to say ‘don’t read it’ as it doesn’t really help but…avoid reading it.’

Pictured: The ballroom professional, 54, branded the negative comments a 'shame', after Johannes Radebe, Gorka Marquez and Giovanni Pernice donned sparkling fringe dresses for the cult hit musical tribute

Pictured: The ballroom professional, 54, branded the negative comments a ‘shame’, after Johannes Radebe, Gorka Marquez and Giovanni Pernice donned sparkling fringe dresses for the cult hit musical tribute

While many hailed the performance as ‘fabulous’, others insisted that the dance was ‘confusing their grandchildren’, as they took to Twitter to complain.  

‘Used to be a family show. Will stop watching,’ said one.

‘It is one thing to support equal rights and completely another to promote homosexuality etc. ‘Very sad indeed.’

Another added: ‘Strictly gone weird tonight,’ tweeted another.

Steph then went onto discuss the trolling judge Motsi Mabuse received over the weekend which has led to Motsi deleting her Twitter account.

She said: ‘If you look at Motsi – she’s had loads of abuse and she’s actually deleted her Twitter account because of them saying she looked like she was drunk – which of course she wasn’t!’

Anton, who stood in as a judge while Motsi isolated following an emergency trip to Germany, explained that she struggled with her paddle because there is so little space underneath the table. 

Anton replied: ‘No of course not and I can’t imagine why they thought that, and I don’t even know why you’d say that because she couldn’t get her paddle out. Ridiculous! 

Speaking on Steph's Packed Lunch on Monday, Anton spoke to host Steph McGovern, who said she was 'upset' by the response, while they also discussed the cruel accusations that judge Motsi Mabuse seemed 'drunk' (pictured in January 2020)

Speaking on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Monday, Anton spoke to host Steph McGovern, who said she was ‘upset’ by the response, while they also discussed the cruel accusations that judge Motsi Mabuse seemed ‘drunk’ (pictured in January 2020)

Quitting: Motsi revealed she has quit Twitter after she was accused of being 'drunk' on TV

Quitting: Motsi revealed she has quit Twitter after she was accused of being ‘drunk’ on TV

There is not a lot of space, you’ve got the paddles down there and you get them out and you can get it stuck in a sequin or under the desk – it’s a nonsense really, stop all that nonsense and just enjoy the show!’ 

On Saturday, Motsi revealed she had quit Twitter, hours after she was accused of being ‘drunk’ on TV by social media trolls.

The ballroom judge, 39, confirmed she had had enough of the social media platform and deleted her account.

In her final tweet, she wrote: ‘I’ve decided to leave Twitter!! It’s been fun but I truly think with Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.. it’s enough social media.

Comments: Some viewers had taken to the platform and wondered if Motsi was drunk after she dropped her paddle when scoring Maisie Smith's dance

Comments: Some viewers had taken to the platform and wondered if Motsi was drunk after she dropped her paddle when scoring Maisie Smith’s dance

‘Please keep up my #strictlykindess hashtag!! You know where to find me.’

During Saturday night’s live episode of Strictly, some viewers had taken to the platform and wondered if Motsi was drunk after she dropped her paddle when scoring Maisie Smith’s dance.

One use wrote: ‘She’s been slurring her words and dropping paddles,’ while another asked: ‘Is Motsi drunk?’

Another user said: ‘Is Motsi drunk? Paddle problems,’ and another added: ‘Sort your paddle out Motsi’. 

Other fans suggested the judge meant to give Maisie a ten, but panicked and gave her nine after fumbling with her paddles. Motsi replied: ‘It got stuck.’ 

Motsi’s decision to leave Twitter comes after she told how her mother Dudu isn’t afraid to have squabbles with social media trolls who criticise her daughter.

Speaking during a recent appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, Motsi said: ‘For [my mum] it’s really crazy, the interest in us.

‘I told her, ‘Mum, do not read anything on social media.’ She is like in every Strictly group and she’s answering [comments]. I’m like, ‘Do not answer these people!’

‘Her name [online] is her real name and she just said to me, ‘What would you do if it was your daughter?’ I said, ‘I wouldn’t answer, I wouldn’t read that stuff!” 

Deleted: The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 39, confirmed she had had enough of the social media platform and deleted her account on Saturday

Deleted: The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 39, confirmed she had had enough of the social media platform and deleted her account on Saturday

Motsi wrote: 'I’ve decided to leave Twitter!! It’s been fun but I truly think with Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.. it’s enough social media'

Motsi wrote: ‘I’ve decided to leave Twitter!! It’s been fun but I truly think with Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.. it’s enough social media’

Reaction: One use wrote: 'She's been slurring her words and dropping paddles,' while another asked: 'Is Motsi drunk?'

Reaction: One use wrote: ‘She’s been slurring her words and dropping paddles,’ while another asked: ‘Is Motsi drunk?’

Motsi added that she sometimes deals with trolls by writing out a response to their comments but then deletes it after reading it out loud to her husband, fellow dancer Evgenij Voznyuk.

The TV star explained: ‘I get so upset – well, angry – then I write everything down. 

‘I answer them then I go to my husband and I put on my angry voice and [read my response] and he’s like ‘OK darling, do you feel better?’ and I’m like, ‘Yes.’

‘[He says] ‘So delete it’ so it never gets out but I’ve got it out of the system.”

MailOnline contacted a representative for Strictly Come Dancing for comment.   

Family: Motsi's decision to leave Twitter comes after she told how her mother Dudu (pictured) isn't afraid to have squabbles with social media trolls who criticise her daughter

Family: Motsi’s decision to leave Twitter comes after she told how her mother Dudu (pictured) isn’t afraid to have squabbles with social media trolls who criticise her daughter