Strictly Come Dancing’s Bruno Tonioli has revealed he won’t be watching the next series - as it will be ‘too weird’ to watch Anton Du Beke judge.
It was announced last month that Bruno, who currently lives in Los Angeles, California, will not return for this year’s series because of safety guidelines.
Anton Du Beke, an original member of the cast, has been drafted in to join Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel-Horwood and Shirley Ballas after 16 years as a professional.
With his replacement in place Bruno feels it’s not right for him to watch this year’s series, and told The Sun : “Watching Anton would be not fair. It’d be weird, like watching an ex with someone new - you just get on with it honey.
“It’ll do me no good as people will ask me what I think and I don’t want to stick my nose in when I’m not part of it. I think it’s very naff."
Bruno typically commutes between the UK and the US to judge both Strictly and Dancing With The Stars, but this year Anton Du Beke will take his spot on the judges’ panel.
It’s believed the decision was made due to the uncertainty of travel guidelines later this year.
Due to his work commitments Stateside, Bruno was largely missing from the 2020 series, appearing via videolink on Sunday night’s results shows to give his input on each week’s performances.
However, after being knocked out early from the competition alongside MP Jacqui Smith, Anton stepped up to the judges’ panel to fill in for Motsi, who due to a break-in at her dance studio had to travel home to Germany, and then quarantine before returning.
His time as a judge proved to be a massive hit with viewers, with many even then requesting he become a full-time member of the panel.
Now that Anton is being given a spot for a full series, it’s still not known whether he will become a permanent fixture or not.
Even Bruno, when asked whether he’ll ever come back, seemed unsure about what the future holds, saying it was “totally up to the production team”.
Bruno’s hesitance to watch the new series echoes that of former head judge Len Goodman, who also says he finds it hard to watch the show because he still feels part of it.
Speaking to The Mirror, Len - who appeared on the series from 2004 to 2016 - explained: “I try to watch it just as a punter, just to be entertained, but it’s difficult because you’re always judging things and I’m always thinking of things the judges should have said.”
The upcoming 2021 series of Strictly Come Dancing is scheduled to return this Autumn, with launch usually occurring in the early weeks of September.
The cast is also yet to be announced but rumoured names include Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn, Ex-Corrie star Ryan Thomas and Death In Paradise's Josephine Jobert.
*Strictly Come Dancing returns later this year on BBC One.
