Britain's Got Talent judge quits panel as huge star 'in talks' to take over iconic gig

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

A Britain's Got Talent judge has reportedly sensationally quit the iconic ITV talent show. Bruno Tonioli has reportedly decided to step away from the show after just two series on the judging panel.
It has been reported that newcomer KSI is the star who is in talks to become Bruno's permanent replacement.
Rumours had circulated that the Italian TV personality may find it impossible to film the next series of the show with his commitment to filming Dancing with the Stars in America - with both reportedly taking place this autumn.
However, Bruno has now officially quit the ITV show, according to insiders. Bruno, 69, joined the judging panel in 2023 following David Walliams ' departure. He quickly became a fan favourite as he joined Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon on the iconic panel.
Despite Simon's efforts to keep him on the show, Bruno's ongoing commitments to Dancing With The Stars has reportedly now made it impossible for him to continue on the show.
A show insider confirmed the news to The Sun, as they stated: 'Bruno has officially quit Britain's Got Talent and they are hoping that KSI will replace him.
"He absolutely loved being on the panel with Simon, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden but Bruno just can't juggle his schedule with filming. There is no bad blood and Bruno is leaving with a smile on his face.'
Earlier this week, rumours had circulated about Bruno quitting the show as a source said: "The filming schedule in 2024 meant that Bruno could get away with not being present for filming one week of auditions.
"But it would be virtually impossible for him to miss two weeks, because in the final edit, that equates to half the episodes in the new three-month run of BGT, which will air from February of 2026."
They added that there is "absolutely no ill feeling about the situation" and that it is purely down to difficult schedules.
The Mirror understands that conversations around this year's BGT line-up are still underway.
Rapper and internet personality KSI is currently tipped to replace Bruno if he leaves, with the rapper having filled in for the ex Strictly star on a number of occasions in the last series.
He proved to be a massive hit with viewers when he joined the panel for BGT's Blackpool auditions and went on to appear at the live semi-finals.
Meanwhile, comedian Alan Carr is also reportedly in the running, having previously revealed that he was originally in talks to take over from David Walliams.
Back in 2023, the long-standing friend of Amanda Holden revealed that the show had told him that he would be joining BGT before later confirming that Bruno had landed the role.
"I don't really know what went on. It was that awful thing of people saying I was devastated. I was on the set of my sitcom, which I wrote and I'm producing, so I was not devastated about not being on BGT," he said.
He added that he later saw Simon Cowell at a party held by Amanda Holden and joked about missing out on the judging role, to which Simon replied: "That's showbizness."
The Mirror has approached a Britain's Got Talent spokesperson for comment on this story.