Bruno Tonioli 'to quit' Britain's Got Talent after just two series as ITV plans big shake-up - and there are already two favourites to replace him
Bruno, 69, joined the ITV variety programme in 2023, replacing David Walliams who departed under a cloud.
He joined Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon last year and returned for its most recent series, which became the show's longest yet.
However, the flamboyant former Strictly Come Dancing judge's jam-packed schedule is making it harder to lock him down for filming BGT.
A TV insider told The Sun: '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.
'There is absolutely no ill feeling about the situation, it's simply down to changes in the schedule making it incredibly difficult to remain as a full time judge.
'The only hope is if his long-time friend and fellow panellist Simon Cowell steps in to make it clear that he has to be a part of the show, no matter how difficult it proves to be.'
The publication adds that comedian Alan Carr - who narrowly missed out on the spot to Bruno, could be drafted in as his replacement.
MailOnline has contacted Britain's Got Talent for comment.
Meanwhile, singer KSI, who stood in on the most recent series as a guest judge, is also on the shortlist after winning viewers over.
Previously addressing chatter about KSI to become a permanent judge, Bruno showed he wasn't phased.
He said: 'We're both young, attractive, multi-talented stars known the world over.
'Joking aside, I think KSI is fantastic — a real charming man full of energy. We attended the BRITs together too, which was a fabulous evening.'
He replaced David Walliams who departed the show under a cloud in 2023
It was recently revealed how the auditions for the next series of Britain's Got Talent will take place in just Blackpool, in October.
Viewers saw the show kick off in February this year, with episodes airing each Saturday night, replacing the traditional nightly episodes.
The live semi-finals - which usually air nightly over the course of one week, were also shown on Saturday nights.
MailOnline revealed how Alan, 49, broke down in tears when BGT producers told him he didn't bag the vacant chair on the judging panel as Simon favoured Brno.
He said how he 'regretted' the move as it would have seen the funnyman work with close pal Amanda Holden.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Britain's Got Talent judge quits panel as huge star 'in talks' to take over iconic gig
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.
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chaser Paul Sinha makes brutal jibe about fans of the ITV game show - calling out 'unemployed' watchers
Chaser Paul Sinha has taken a brutal swipe at viewers of the hugely popular ITV game show - calling keen fans 'unemployed'. His quick wit and fiery authenticity has made Paul, aka The Sinnerman, a fan favourite on The Chase. Colleague and fellow Chaser Anne Hegerty, known by the moniker The Governess, has previously described him as the most 'fearsome' Chaser. But when he's not playing fiercely on the show, he's performing stand up comedy around the country. Arriving at the Ealing Comedy Festival on Thursday, the 55-year-old kicked off his set with a playful jab at watchers of The Chase, the Express reported. 'Welcome to you, and a special welcome to those of you in full-time employment, as you won't have a clue who I am,' he said - in a cheeky nod to the show's airing time of 5pm on weekdays. But Paul did not shy away from laughing at himself, as he poked fun at his player name The Sinnerman, saying: 'It's a s*** name. It means f*** all. It makes me sound like a low-budget superhero!' The ITV quizzer, who first qualified as a doctor before turning to comedy, even poked fun at his family names. 'My mum's name is Smith,' he said. 'It's an unusual maiden name for someone with full Bengali heritage, but there is an explanation - which is I'm lying. I made it up.' Paul later admitted his mother's maiden name was actually Chakrabarti, which he joked has '17 variant spellings in the English language.' He added that he'd been 'locked out of so many online accounts' after selecting it as a security question. 'Many years ago, I made the pragmatic decision that my mum's name is actually Smith - it's not easy though, I tell you,' he continued. Paul joked that he'd made a successful career owing to his knack for 'box-ticking', as he falls into a number of 'diverse' categories. 'I'm a gay man and, I'll be honest, it's not a bad life - you're the only openly gay British Asian qualified doctor with Parkinson's Disease,' he laughed. The Chaser said that, after a long period of singledom between the ages of 18 and 41, he had finally found love. But, in a cruel twist of fate, he received his Parkinson's diagnosis the very same year he became a married man. 'When you see as many doctors as I do, your life is a rollercoaster, your career is a rollercoaster... tonight I'm in Ealing [but] two weeks ago I had a damage limitation gig with the production team at Masterchef! It's all happening for me!' This appeared to the audience to be a gesture to TV chef John Torode's recent dismissal from his BBC post following accusations he had used derogatory racialised language. Despite his buoyant tone, it has been a difficult few years for Paul, who acknowledges that his disease could eventually leave him 'expressionless' and 'immobile'. Nonetheless he insisted he was facing the future with 'good cheer and optimism', as proved by the riotous comedy set that drove his audience to (happy) tears. The London-based doctor has previously opened up about his declining health, having admitted he suffered two heart attacks in the same week but refused to call an ambulance for a 'stupid' reason. Paul told of his ordeal on an episode of Good Morning Britain to presenters Susanna Reid, 54, and Ed Balls, 58. He said the ordeal happened while he was at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 to perform a run of shows. He explained of his set at the Scottish arts festival: 'It was a bit of a wild show. 'It was very much about my life as a gay, disabled son of immigrants but it was quite a political show, and it was a big show. 'I was in a room with 400 people in and it all got on top of me and I had two heart attacks in the same Edinburgh Fringe. 'Two! Week number one and week number three.' Paul explained the first heart attack happened while he was 'shaking the hand of Levi Roots', who he had been introduced to in a bar. As he greeted the businessman, known for pitching Reggae Reggae Sauce on Dragons' Den, he felt 'a crushing, tightening chest pain'. Having previously worked as a GP before entering showbusiness, the quizzer explained: 'As my years of medicine made me remember, it was not like anything I'd ever felt before and I knew it was cardiac. 'But I didn't want to cause a scene so I just walked into a cab. 'I didn't want to call an ambulance because I thought, "I might as well just get into a cab to take me to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible", which is what I did.'
The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
Britain's Got Talent bombshell as popular judge QUITS panel – and huge star in talks to replace them revealed
BRUNO Tonioli has quit Britain's Got Talent after just two series on the judging panel. The Sun understands that singer and boxer KSI is in talks to be his permanent replacement. 2 2 Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno, 69, joined the line-up in 2023 after David Walliams stepped down. BGT boss Simon Cowell, 65, desperately tried to persuade Bruno to stay but, due to scheduling clashes with his Dancing With The Stars work in the US, the pair could not make it work. A source said: '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. 'KSI, who was a replacement for Bruno on shows he missed last year, is in talks about coming on board full time.' The Sun revealed earlier this month that Bruno was on the cusp of stepping down because his schedule meant he could not film auditions in Blackpool and Birmingham this autumn. KSI, 32, was a huge hit with viewers when he stepped in for Bruno during last year's Blackpool auditions and made a guest appearance during the live semi-finals. Bruno Tonioli set to QUIT Britain's Got Talent judging gig as two favourites to replace him revealed The Sun exclusively revealed last month that there was a shake-up in the filming for the next series, which would split the auditions between Blackpool and Birmingham. The live semi-finals, which account for the second half of the newly-lengthened series, will still be filmed in London. Speaking about the acts who appeared on this year's final in May, which was won by magician Harry Moulding, Bruno said: 'The standard was incredible. 'I feel like I'm not even judging, I'm commenting from my heart. 'I know how hard it is to perform in front of an audience.' The next series of BGT is scheduled to air on ITV next April.
