Lizzie: “Bruno & I always fancy the same men!”
Lizzie Cundy talks to Closer about her close friendship with Strictly star Bruno Tonioli and her secret long-distance relationship
She’s never been too shy to strip off and flaunt her agedefying curves, but Lizzie Cundy met her match when she enjoyed a New Year break to Barbados with Strictly judge and close pal Bruno Tonioli. Lizzie, 50, tells us, “Bruno and I go away every Christmas with my sons. We just get on like a house on fire. Mind you, he had some balls this trip with his bathing attire. He wore these little budgie smugglers and had an X-rated bulge on the beach. I told him I knew Christmas had only just come to an end, but that it looked like he’d shoved his turkey down there! He’s 63 – but he looks 20 years younger. He definitely upstaged me.” Lizzie says she and Bruno – who have been friends for years after meeting through mutual pals – are so close, he’s become like a surrogate dad to her sons, Josh, 23, and James, 18, with her ex-husband, former footballer Jason Cundy. She says of the openly-gay star, “We’re one big happy family. Bruno’s like a gay father to my boys and we have a ball when we’re on holiday together. Bruno and I have our little routine – we’ll get up and do our morning workouts, hit the breakfast buffet and then lie out in the sun to tan.”
PERFECT MATCH
And while Lizzie – who revealed to Closer last summer that she was secretly dating an A-list celeb – insists the bond between them is special, she rules out the chance of any romantic spark.
She laughs, “We joke that we’re just like a married couple because we spend so much time together and we’re so similar. We’re practically married in my eyes and he’s like my gay husband. It’s a shame that I’m not Bruno’s type because we would be the perfect match and have a very lovely life together.
“But if I’m honest, we both end up going after the same blokes! We always fancy the same men.”
She adds, “Bruno knows better than to set me up with someone. I’m fussy and I like my independence. I’m still in contact with my secret celeb, but I still can’t reveal his name. You’d be shocked, though. He doesn’t live in the UK so it’s a long- distance thing that’s hard to maintain. I’m technically single, but I haven’t cut contact with him.” Lizzie and Bruno were also joined on their luxury break by their close friend Simon Cowell, his partner Lauren Silverman and their five-year- old son, Eric. Lizzie – who’s known
Simon for years
– reveals, “Simon is such a laugh and we always have a good time together. We never chat about work when we’re socialising, it’s just fun. Simon always teases me and Bruno and asks when we’re getting married. I think life is complete for Simon now; he’s met his perfect match with Lauren, and Eric is like his little mini-me. He’s just very happy, which is lovely to see.”
FALLOUT
Simon’s former X Factor co-star Cheryl recently revealed she no longer had his direct contact number and had to go through his people to reach him. The 35-year-old singer has suffered a difficult return to the spotlight since welcoming son Bear in March 2017, failing to achieve success with her single Love Made Me Do It and seeing ratings for The Greatest Dancer – in which she stars as a judge – plummet.
Lizzie says, “I know Cheryl and I like her a lot. I don’t think she helps herself with her styling sometimes, though! She’s a great girl, but I think she needs Simon’s help. He was a great mentor to her and she was so successful when he first hired her on The X Factor. Simon is great because he gives great advice. I’m not sure what’s happened between them, or if there was a fallout, but Simon is one of the kindest people and he knows what he’s talking about.”
One person whose career Lizzie does see going from strength to strength is Gemma Collins, who recently teamed up with Lizzie’s pal, pro skater Matt Evers, on Dancing On Ice. Gemma came under attack last week over claims of diva behaviour and was blasted by hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield over claims she’d been late and left the studio early. But Lizzie is rooting for her and insists she doesn’t deserve the backlash.
She says, “I’m a huge fan of Gemma and would love for her to win the show. A lot of people really underestimated her when she was announced as a contestant, but Matt has told me he’s never had a partner work so hard. She’s faced bad press, but she’s no diva and doesn’t deserve the criticism. I’m rooting for the GC all the way!”