He's Strictly’s loudest and most effervescent judge – and not even Craig Revel Horwood can ruffle his feathers.
But there is one thing Bruno Tonioli is scared of: cricket.
Or to be more exact, speeding cricket balls hitting his, um, er, own .
Unfortunately, the judge must confront this fear during this week’s episode of Craig and Bruno’s Great British Road Trips, on Wednesday night.
The pair are in Yorkshire – and are sent to play cricket with a local team.
Speaking to the coach a worried Bruno asks: “I hear the balls are hard and they are fast and can hit you.... in a special place.”
He’s somewhat pacified after being told he will be given padding, but even after being offered a box – or groin protector – Bruno, 65, is still very worried about his, um, assets.
“It’ll have to be a very big box.”
Bruno’s game didn’t exactly bowl over the team but he did at least get to see Strictly’s Aussie-born Mr Nasty, Craig, overcome his own fear of cricket - one that went back to the only time he played, aged 13.
Despite it being Australia’s biggest sport, Craig, 56, was about as keen to pick up a bat as he’d have been to dance with Anne Widdecombe.
Having batted away their fears, Bruno, who’s missing this year’s Strictly, finds something more up their street: choreographing some sheep, in a Yorkshire (ish) accent.
It was pretty baa-rmy.
Love Island's Brad McClelland on his romance with Lucinda
Optimist of the day goes to Love Island ’s Brad McClelland.
The luscious labourer was dumped from the villa last week after he and his girl Lucinda Strafford were ordered to pick whether one should go, or both.
Lucinda, yesterday accused of having a secret footie boyfriend back home, opted to stay – with the tiniest, merest amount of persuasion needed. Now Brad’s barely had time to unpack his suitcase and she’s already moved on to tattooed plumber Danny Bibby, left, and event planner Aaron Francis.
Yet Brad is convinced there may still be a future with the blonde.
“If I got put back in the villa I could walk back in and I’d back myself,” he says confidently. “Put me back in the villa and I’ll take her back off ‘em.”
Cin’s not the only thing he’s been missing. He adds it’s weird getting to sleep because he’d become so used to background noise in the shared bedroom.
“You get used to going to sleep hearing the kissing, the farting,“ he says. “Now you think ‘where’s it gone?’”
No wonder you want back in Brad – it sounds like life in the villa is a gas.
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