Bruno Tonioli breaks silence with Simon Cowell statement after BGT exit rumours
Bruno Tonioli has finally broken his silence, following rumours that he'd been axed from Britain's Got Talent. The former Strictly judge was reportedly dropped from the upcoming series of the ITV talent show, just days after Sydnie Christmas clinched the top spot at the live final.
Sydnie bagged a cool £250,000 and the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in front of a member of the Royal Family this November. Two years ago, Bruno stepped into David Walliams' shoes as a judge, joining Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon on the panel. However, it's been reported he won't be returning next year due to clashes with his commitments across the pond.
Breaking his social media silence, the 68 year old choreographer shared a promo for Simon Cowell's latest project - proving there's no bad blood between them, after the music mogul revealed he is on the hunt for his next boyband following the success of One Direction.
Bruno posted a link to apply for Simon's project along with a poster featuring a snap of the BGT boss that read: "Simon needs you! Are you the next global superstar and want to be in his new boy band? Aged around 16-18? Click below now to apply.
The star regularly appears as a judge on Dancing with the Stars in the United States. But this could clash with Britain's Got Talent which is set to move earlier into the year to fill the void left by Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, which has been put on hold for now.
Britain's Got Talent is reportedly preparing for a massive £100million revamp, shaking things up with a new filming schedule. The Mirror reports that the auditions for the upcoming series of the show are set to begin in October, a shift from the usual January start."
"Once it became clear auditions were starting in October, as opposed to January as per the previous 17 series, it became clear Bruno may not be able to take part. He's committed to the US, but the new format for BGT is non-negotiable because the show will effectively be replacing Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway," a source told The Sun.
It's rumoured that Alan Carr will fill Bruno's shoes on the judging panel following his recent gig on ITV's Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream, where he was talent hunting for the West End. "Alan Carr is a name that has been mooted - his chemistry with Amanda is already a winning formula - and he would bring a fantastic comic edge to the panel," the source added.
Simon Cowell has addressed the speculation about Bruno's position on the show, citing scheduling conflicts as the reason for his potential absence. The father of one shared: "I spoke to the producers literally two weeks ago about there is a scheduling issue with Bruno. Because we're doing the auditions... some of the auditions this year and he's going to be in America.
"So maybe there'll be a stand in for him. I don't know. But I love Bruno on the show. I think he's brilliant. He knows so much about what he's talking about. And actually, he's a brilliant, brilliant judge and the nicest person. So no, I would not replace him! He's coming back."
