Strictly Come Dancing 2020: Where is Bruno Tonioli and why is he not on the show?

17 October 2020, 17:30

Bruno Tonioli will not be a judge on this year's Strictly
Bruno Tonioli will not be a judge on this year's Strictly. Picture: PA Images/ITV/Instagram

Where is Bruno and why is he not on Strictly this year?

Strictly Come Dancing will look a little different this year, with the cast and crew abiding by strict social distancing rules.

As well as the celebrities forming social bubbles with their partners, judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel-Horwood and Motsi Mabuse have had to ditch their glam squads.

But there’s one man who’s missing from the line up, as Bruno Tonioli won’t be appearing as a judge in the BBC studios this year.

So, where is he and why is he not on the show? Here’s what we know…

Bruno won't be joining the judges on Strictly this year
Bruno won't be joining the judges on Strictly this year. Picture: PA Images

Why is Bruno Tonioli not on Strictly?

Unfortunately, Bruno won’t be able to make it to the live Strictly shows due to Covid-19 measures, as well as commitments outside of the UK.

Read More: How long will Strictly Come Dancing 2020 be on for?

He is currently in LA working as a judge on the US version of the show Dancing with the Stars.

This means he is unable to fly back and forth to the UK like he usually does as strict travel restrictions are in place.

However, the 64-year-old will still be making an appearance in his own special segment during the results show.

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Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Bruno explained: “What I’ll do is I'll watch the show and there will be a little segment that will be on the results show.

“It’ll be like another view because I think it wouldn’t be right for me to interfere in the judging process because I am not there.”

He added: “Because the things that you see when they are eight feet away from you are not quite the same when it is a shot, cut in different ways.

“And Craig, Motsi and Shirley all know exactly what they are doing. So I am not going to be interfering.

“It's not fair, it’s a bit naff actually. So, it’s going to be my point of view overall.

“You know, pointing out this and that, I am looking forward to it and I am glad I get to do it.”

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