Bruno out of step for Strictly start
STRICTLY’S Bruno Tonioli will be missing from the judging panel when the series returns this autumn, he has confirmed.
The entertainer said it was due to problems travelling backwards and forwards from the US each week, where he is judging Dancing With The Stars.
Currently, anyone coming from the US must self-isolate in the UK for two weeks.
Bruno, 64, who last month showed off his new silver-grey hair when he accepted a Bafta for the show, says he hopes to appear from Los Angeles on Strictly’s results show every Sunday.
It is thought he will also return to Strictly full-time before the series ends, depending on the lifting of travel restrictions and the easing of his work schedule.
The BBC is not expected to hire a replacement but will get different stars to fill Bruno’s seat each week.
He said yesterday: “I absolutely adore being part of Strictly and can’t wait to see what incredible dancing this year has in store. Lockdown has resulted in me being in LA for the foreseeable, but I’m excited to be involved as much as I possibly can. There was no cha-cha-chance I’d miss out.”
Strictly’s executive producer Sarah James said she was “overjoyed” that the show had found a way to include Bruno in the series.
She added: “His passion and enthusiasm are such a big part of the show – I’m thrilled we can continue to deliver that to audiences this year.”
The three remaining judges, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood, are all expected to return as normal.
But the series will start later in the year because of measures having to be brought in due to the pandemic. Strictly normally comes back at the end of September, with the final just before Christmas.The end date is not expected to change.
There will be a series of special episodes to make up for the shorter series, including one dedicated to former winners, it was announced earlier this week.
Strictly: The Best Of The Final will “celebrate the finalists, the emotion and the incredible routines” that have featured in the last round of the competition.
It will pay tribute in particular to Caroline Flack, who won the series in 2014 and took her life in February this year at the age of 40.
Other specials will include The Best Of Movies, The Best Of Blackpool and The Best Of Musicals, the BBC said.