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Strictly's Anton Du Beke opens up about fertility struggles

Photo credit: ITV
Photo credit: ITV

From Prima

Strictly Come Dancing professional Anton Du Beke has opened up about his and wife Hannah's fertility struggles.

The couple welcomed twins George and Henrietta back in 2017 through IVF, which came after a difficult time trying to conceive.

Appearing on today's (January 15) Loose Women as part of the show's Fertility Week, Anton explained how Hannah has a condition called endometriosis.

"Endometriosis is a massive thing for ladies," he said. "For a man, you look on... but for a woman, it affects the quality of your life to a degree, because it comes in three parts.

"The excruciating pain, the swelling of having it – that makes you look like you're pregnant – which is sort of perverse. And of course it stops you from becoming, in many cases, pregnant.

"As a man there's nothing you can do, all I can do is support and empathise and do whatever I can do," Anton continued. "But when we discussed having babies, IVF was our only option.

"So we went to a clinic and discussed it and made a decision, 'That's what we want to do'. And of course the process is remarkable."

Speaking of his admiration for Hannah, Anton added: "I take my hat off... it's not even a big enough expression to say I take my hat off to Hannah and women in general. It's an incredible thing.

"The payoff is so great of course. The injections are gruelling, intense and painful.

"But of course you forego all of that because the potential prize at the end of having babies – we were fortunate to have the twins, George and Henrietta."

Anton did admit the process was "horrible", adding: "It's a shared experience – I used the 'shared' bit loosely – I felt like I gave myself up to Hannah."

Later on, the show aired clips of their twins as Anton teared up live on air, the panel offering him tissues.

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