Britain’s Got Talent bosses have responded to further speculation about Bruno Tonioli’s future with the show.
The former Strictly Come Dancing staple joined the BGT panel in 2023, following the much-publicised exit of David Walliams, and has now judged two seasons of the long-running ITV talent show.
However, the next season of BGT is due to air in a different place in the calendar, which could pose an issue for Bruno due to his commitments across the pond as a judge on Dancing With The Stars.
While Simon Cowell has already voiced his intention to keep Bruno, a fresh report in The Sun published earlier this year claimed the TV mogul could be “forced” to “drop” the Italian choreographer.
The tabloid cited one undisclosed “ITV insider” who claimed producers were hoping to “take advantage” of Bruno’s existing commitments to bring in some new talent to the BGT panel.
A spokesperson for ITV told HuffPost UK: “Any plans for Britain’s Got Talent 2025 will be announced in due course.”
Meanwhile, a BGT source was more enthusiastic in their support for Bruno, saying: “This year’s BGT was a runaway hit and Bruno played a big part in that. He is much loved by the audience, the acts, his fellow judges, ITV and Thames alike.”
Simon previously claimed that he’d be happy to bring in a “stand-in” for Bruno at next series’ BGT auditions, before welcoming him back for the live shows.
“I love Bruno on this show. I think he’s brilliant and he knows so much about what he’s talking about,” he insisted.
“Sometimes when people are singing a certain kind of music he’s like talking so eloquently and I’m thinking actually he’s a brilliant, brilliant judge, and the nicest person. So no, I would not replace him. He’s coming back.”
A previous report in The Sun quoted a supposed “source” who claimed Alan Carr was already being “mooted” as a possible successor to Bruno, after the two were famously both in the running to replace David Walliams last year.
The comic’s close friend and frequent TV collaborator Amanda Holden also maintained that Alan “has not heard from BGT”, adding: “I asked him myself.”