New Britain’s Got Talent judge revealed as Bruno Tonioli

Bruno Tonioli was seemingly been accidentally confirmed as a new Britain’s Got Talent judge ahead of an official announcement on Tuesday. 

Lizzie Cundy, one of Bruno’s close friends, took to Instagram Stories to congratulate the Strictly judge before ITV had confirmed the news. 

She wrote: ‘Good luck today to my dearest friend @brunotonioliofficial . From one big tv show to another .. he will certainly bring the fun factor ! So proud of you my friend ! #bgt #new #judge.’

It is not clear if Bruno would be coming on full time or as a guest judge after David Walliams sensationally quit the show. 

The latest comes after Alan Carr was widely tipped to be taking on the role. 

The Britain’s Got Talent auditions are set to take place later on. on Tuesday at which point the full line-up is likely to be confirmed by ITV directly. 

On Monday, it was claimed that Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon were refusing to sign contracts for the latest series of the show.

The duo are said to be furious that Bruno will see his new salary match their own – an estimated £850,000.  

According to The Sun, Amanda and Alesha sent the latest series into chaos with bosses scrambling to secure the TV favourites ahead of filming beginning in  London next week. 

A source told the publication: ‘Amanda has been on BGT for 17 years, while Alesha is going into her eleventh year. They don’t think it’s fair a newcomer could walk into the show and be handed the same deal as them’.

‘It’s a bit of a headache for BGT given filming for the next series begins at the London Palladium on Tuesday’.

‘Bruno was still ironing out his contract on Friday too so it’s all very much down to the wire’.

MailOnline contacted reps for Amanda, Alesha and ITV for comment. 

It comes after it was reported Bruno would triple the salary he received on Strictly Come Dancing by joining the ITV judging panel.

The former Strictly judge Bruno replace David Walliams who left the show last year after ITV bosses who wanted comedian Alan Carr were overruled by boss Simon Cowell.

Bruno, who is said to be ‘delighted’ to return to Saturday night prime time TV in the UK, will now overshadow his former Strictly co-stars wage by three times.

Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke are all believed to earn £250,000 per series on the Strictly judging panel.

It comes following battle between Bruno – a close friend of Simon’s – and comedian Alan for the role. The show’s judges Alesha and Amanda were told the identity of their new colleague in the last week.

According to the Daily Mail’s Katie Hind, Bruno is yet to sign the contract but the job has been formally offered to him following at tug of war between ITV and BGT boss, who insisted that he had the role following David’s departure.

Alan, 46, is understood to be ‘devastated’ at losing out on the job which he thought was his.

Friends of the star said that he told he would be joining the show by those close to it two weeks ago.

One told the Daily Mail: ‘He is trying to keep his head up, he thought that he had it. It is really disappointing for him. BGT have really missed a trick, especially with the on-screen chemistry between him and Amanda.’ 

Meanwhile, a source close to the show said: ‘It is one the most peculiar events in showbusiness in recent years. Alan was told that he had the job and then all of sudden Bruno’s name popped up. It is so bizarre.

‘Some ITV bosses are cross at the decision, their preference was Alan as did most involved in the show who were really over the moon at the prospect of having join them for series. They all wanted him but Cowell was against it, he wanted his friend.’ Tonioli joining BGT means that there now two former Strictly judges on the panel – something ITV bosses are understood to have been against.

Friends of the star said that he told he would be joining the show by those close to it two weeks ago.

One told the Daily Mail: ‘He is trying to keep his head up, he thought that he had it. It is really disappointing for him. BGT have really missed a trick, especially with the on-screen chemistry between him and Amanda.’ 

Meanwhile, a source close to the show said: ‘It is one the most peculiar events in showbusiness in recent years. Alan was told that he had the job and then all of sudden Bruno’s name popped up. It is so bizarre.

‘Some ITV bosses are cross at the decision, their preference was Alan as did most involved in the show who were really over the moon at the prospect of having join them for series. They all wanted him but Cowell was against it, he wanted his friend.’ Tonioli joining BGT means that there now two former Strictly judges on the panel – something ITV bosses are understood to have been against.

In one incident, picked up on the show’s microphones, an older performer engaged in light-hearted banter with the judges in which he made a jibe about David.

After the audition, the pensioner left, and David is said to have described him as a ‘c**t’ three times.

In a separate incident, after a female contestant had walked off stage, David remarked: ‘She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don’t.’ He later added: ‘I know, she’s just like: ‘Oh, f*** off!’ I was saying, she thinks you want to f*** her, but you don’t.

‘It’s the last thing on your mind, but she’s like: ‘Yep, I bet you do!’

‘No I don’t! I had a bit of a b***r, but now it’s going, it’s now shrivelled up inside my body.’

David, one of the UK’s best-known television personalities and children’s book authors, was forced to apologise for his outbursts – but he insisted that they were private conversations.

Source: | Dailymail.co.uk