‘This is the biggest show on TV!’ New Britain’s Got Talent judge Bruno Tonioli ‘has a dig’ at his former Strictly Come Dancing co-stars – but admits BBC show ‘changed his life’
Bruno Tonioli took a swipe at his former Strictly Come Dancing co-stars, during Saturday night’s instalment of BGT.
The new Britain’s Got Talent judge, 67, who switched the BBC ballroom show for the ITV competition, praised his new colleagues: Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden.
But in doing so, he somewhat dismissed his former Strictly co-stars – including Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse as lesser-than.
Bruno told the BGT audience: ‘They say you’re only as good as the people you work with, and these people are the best.’
Previously, when asked whether BGT was bigger than Strictly, the sassy star replied: ‘This is the biggest show on TV — I mean it, it is now that I’m here!’
Yikes: Bruno Tonioli, 67, took a swipe at his former Strictly Come Dancing co-stars, during Saturday night’s instalment of Britain’s Got Talent
Yikes: He somewhat dismissed his former Strictly co-stars – including Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse as lesser-than
Oh! Bruno told the BGT audience: ‘They say you’re only as good as the people you work with, and these people are the best’ of Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden
‘This is the biggest show on British TV, now that I’m here,’ he told press after his debut, but added that Strictly had ‘changed his life’.
Bruno starred on Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 until 2019, Anton Du Beke stepped in for him as a judge during the COVID-19 pandemic before replacing him permanently in 2022.
He then replaced former BGT panellist David Walliams, 51, on the panel this series after the comedian made sexual remarks towards contestants last year, for which he apologised before stepping down from the show.
Bruno’s latest remarks come just a month after Simon Cowell, 63, branded Strictly Come Dancing ‘boring’ as he discussed Bruno’s appearance on the BGT judging panel.
The music mogul said that he felt his new fellow judge was having a much better time on their show because of the format.
Comparing Britain’s Got Talent to the celebrity dancing competition show, he said: ‘When you’re doing Strictly, all you’ve got is a bat or something, right? That’s boring.
‘This is a punctuation mark, which is the red buzzer. He was like a kid having these things to press while he was judging. I think he found that having those, the whole process was easier.
Former co-stars: Bruno starred on Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 until 2019, Anton Du Beke stepped in for him during the COVID-19 era before replacing him permanently in 2022
New colleagues: Bruno replaced David Walliams on the ITV reality show, and now judges alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon
‘I reckon he probably wished he had a red buzzer on Strictly. There’s a few celebrities he would have liked to have buzzed off, I bet.’
Bruno has previously joked that he got carried away when filming began for BGT because of the golden buzzer, which sends an act straight through to the live shows.
Each year judges Simon, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno get a golden buzzer, and the same goes for presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, and they can press it when they are impressed by a specific act
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