‘Too busy’ Bruno set to miss Strictly
...but had time to hit Broadway
FROM his flamboyant gesticulations to his unusual metaphors, he can always be relied upon to make his presence felt.
But Bruno Tonioli will be absent from the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel this weekend – missing the show for the first time in 13 years.
His absence has bizarrely been put down to a ‘busy work schedule’, although he was seen enjoying a night out at the musical Hamilton in the US earlier this week.
He will not be replaced on the Strictly panel, meaning the scores will be out of 30.
Fans were not impressed, with may complaining that he is ‘prioritising’ his role on US show Dancing With The Stars, where he is a judge alongside ex-Strictly head judge Len Goodman.
Tonioli, 61, usually flies to America on a Sunday for filming on Monday and returns to the UK mid-week to watch Strictly rehearsals on Friday, before filming the live show and results show on a Saturday. But this week he remained in America, where he filmed a Disneythemed episode of Dancing With The Stars, posing alongside Kermit the Frog, and went to the theatre on Thursday.
Viewers who saw his appearance on Celebrity Juice this week might also feel he is spreading himself too thinly by taking on other work, hindering his Strictly role. It is understood Tonioli booked this week off before the start of the series and was given the green light by BBC producers, but it has not gone down well with fans.
One wrote: ‘So why is he not showing up? The reason you have given sounds like a load of old cobblers.’
Another said: ‘I’d say that was bad organisation – Strictly obviously not a priority then.’
A third wrote: ‘Poor planning! It’s hardly like the dates for Strictly are arranged last minute.’
Tonioli replied to one frustrated fan, who had written, ‘Does that mean they were more important than us?’ – saying: ‘Far from it.’
He later insisted: ‘100 per cent back next week, just had a clash whilst in Dancing With The Stars.’
A Strictly spokesman said: ‘As was always the plan, Bruno Tonioli is not on the judging panel this weekend due to a very busy work schedule.
‘He will be back as normal for our Halloween special and the rest of the series.’