Every woman in the world should have half an hour with Anton du Beke, declared Lesley Garrett after partnering the dapper dancer on the first series of Strictly Come Dancing.

I’m inclined to agree.

His mix of non-threatening flirtatiousness and old-school charm leaves any woman in his company feeling like the most important person in the room.

On meeting the professional dancer turned TV presenter at the foot of London’s Tower Bridge, he doesn’t disappoint.

He kisses my hand, slips an arm around my shoulders then offers his elbow before whisking me into his local coffee shop.

It’s almost as if he has twirled his way right out of another era.

He immediately begins talking Spanish with the lady behind the counter, ordering drinks, a croissant and a toasted sandwich, before ushering me into a seat.

“Will you be all right near the door?” he asks politely. “Would you like some more food? Are you comfortable?”

Once settled, Anton looks at me earnestly: “So what are we doing?”

I get the impression he would happily spend the afternoon exchanging pleasantries.

But we’re here to talk about – among other things – his Strictly Come Dancing fame, the live tour that brings him to the south coast and those false rumours about his relationship with Kate Garraway.

Anton – dressed in smart trousers and a black jumper with white shirt, minus his trademark tie – tucks into his sandwich heartily. All that dance training must be giving him an appetite.

His latest Strictly partner, ex- EastEnder Gillian Taylforth, may have been the first female to get booted off the competition back in week two, but fans can still catch a glimpse of Anton during weekly group dances with his fellow professionals on the show.

He is also cropping up elsewhere on our screens with increasing frequency, hosting BBC2 cookery show Step Up to the Plate and appearing on bizarre Saturday night game show Hole in the Wall.

Viewers of BBC Children in Need also saw the former dance champion take to the dancefloor with Strictly presenter Tess Daly last month.

In fact, Anton – who has been on Strictly since it began in 2004 – is now as famous as the celebrities he partners.

He shoots me a mock bashful look.

“Do you really think so?” he asks with incredulous delight. “I think you’re very kind.”

Joking aside, it must have been frustrating to be out of the competition so early. With previous partners including Lesley Garrett, Esther Rantzen and the rhythmically challenged Kate Garraway, isn’t it time the producers paired him with someone – how should I put it – a little less mature?

Typically, Anton – who prefers to keep his own age a mystery – won’t have a word said against “his girls”.

“As long as I get along with the partners and they want to be in the studio, I’m happy.”

His nurturing teaching style lies in stark contrast to that of hot-headed Brendan Cole.

“Brendan’s just a bit misunderstood really,” says Anton thoughtfully. “People think he’s being a diva but he just wants somebody to have passion for what they do. Brendan and I both have the same attitude – if you don’t want to be there, don’t say yes and then not try – there’s nothing more annoying and insulting.

“I don’t think Fiona liked Brendan and I don’t think he liked her. Fortunately I’ve had a lovely time with all my girls.”

It was Anton’s good friendship with married GMTV presenter Kate Garraway that sparked false rumours of an affair. Kate was recently awarded a six-figure sum in damages over articles which appeared in the Sunday Mirror and Daily Mirror in February.

“It’s sad really that some journalists have to do that kind of thing,” says Anton, his jovial manner evaporating. “I get this real sense of disappointment in people when they do things like that.”

Throughout our chat, I am struck by how courteous Anton is.

“Etiquette, manners and good form are what make the world a liveable place to be in,” he says with conviction. Dancing too, he points out, is all about etiquette. Just like his other passion golf, it has a history, a tradition and an athleticism he loves.

“Sometimes it’s like you’re flying,” he sighs. “If it’s perfect, for that moment, it’s a breathless feeling.”

Brought up by a Spanish mother and an alcoholic Hungarian father, Anton left school at 16 to begin his amateur-dancing career.

His passion for dance had been ignited two years previously when watching his sister’s dance class.

“I just saw a room full of girls and thought, hello!” chuckles Anton, ruling out any speculation that he might prefer boys.

“The gay rumours don’t bother me really but my girlfriend wouldn’t be very happy,” he says, revealing only that his mystery woman is “attractive” and “very lovely”.

For Anton, Strictly Come Dancing has meant working with his all-time hero Bruce Forsyth.

“I love him. He’s the man.

He’s my mentor and my inspiration.”

Does he have ambitions to become an all-round entertainer like Brucie?

“That would be lovely,” he says. “I always thought I’d do something theatrical after I finished competing but the TV thing came later, just by luck really.”

For such a tactile person, Anton is more guarded than I expected.

He’s most comfortable when talking about anyone other than himself – like his dance partner of ten years Erin Boag who he playfully refers to as “the wife.”

“We have domestics sometimes,” he admits cheerfully. “I’m like: ‘don’t speak to me’.

“Then I realise I’ve got to dance with her in half an hour!”

Erin, he adds, is incredibly organised.

Presumably then, it is she who will make sure they’re both in Bournemouth this January to wow audiences with their touring dance show, Cheek to Cheek.

“There’s no judges and no amateurs doing well,” Anton enthuses. “It’s going to be big, lush with a wonderful orchestra, Erin and I doing our thing and a guest couple doing some Latin.

“We’ll have a dance, a bit of chat maybe. It’s going to be a lovely, lovely evening.”

The south coast is a familiar stomping ground for Anton who has friends in Eastleigh and whose pals James and Claire Taplin run a dance school in Warsash.

As we chat, a Frank Sinatra track starts playing, causing Anton to start lip synching theatrically.

So can he teach anyone to dance? I ask, hopeful of an impromptu tutorial.

“Some people take longer than others but everyone can do it.”

He gives a cheeky grin.

“Even you my dear.”

Cheek to Cheek is at Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on January 28 and at Portsmouth Guildhall on January 7. Box office: 01202 454804 (Bournemouth) or 023 9282 4355 (Portsmouth)