Bruno Tonioli has ruled out a return to his Strictly Come Dancing ‘family’ following his exit from the show earlier this year.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline at Wednesday’s Sister Act! The Musical press performance, the judge, 66, said that he had found juggling the British show and its American variant Dancing With The Stars shows too taxing after previously admitting the travel schedule took a toll on his health.
Referring to the BBC show, on which he appeared as a judge for 17 years, he said: ‘Well I always will miss it, it’s my family, but I mean we’ll always be friends and you never know what’s going to happen’.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘The situation is too complicated!’ Bruno Tonioli rules out a return to his Strictly Come Dancing ‘family’ – and admits he often needs help working out who its celebrity contestants actually are!
Going on to discuss his return to the show he continued: ‘At the moment, you know it’s just as impossible, you know the situation is too complicated but they’re all my brothers and sisters, we’re all loving each other, you know, no hard feelings, they’re great, they do a great job’.
But offering hope for Strictly fans he added: ‘You know what’s going to happen, no one knows what’s going to happen in the future, but at the moment I do the American show but I can’t do the travel, it’s impossible’.
The outlandish choreographer went on to admit he often needs help working out who the celebrity contestants actually are.
Judge: Speaking about the BBC show, which he appeared as a judge for 17 years, he said: ‘Well I always will miss it, it’s my family, but I mean we’ll always be friends and you never know what’s going to happen’ (pictured on the show)
He said: ‘I never know who anybody is. I go, “Who the hell is that?”. It’s actually better [not knowing contestants identities] because you don’t have any preconceived ideas of what they should or what they can and you look at it as if it was you, for me they are all the same.
‘When you turn on the dial, you have to actually look at everybody regardless of what they’ve done. They might have done what people say what people think.
‘You have to ignore that and just look at them as any other person you would make’.
Back together: Bruno (left) was joined at Wednesday’s event with former Strictly colleague Craig Revel Horwood (right)
Continuing to host America’s Dancing With The Stars alongside former Strictly head judge Len Goodman, Bruno admitted he would often turn to his pal for help.
‘I used to have to ask Len all the time, “Who’s that?” I’m not really good in sports, or presenters or reality because I don’t really watch all of the things, I have to be reminded’.
Before adding: ‘It doesn’t matter who they are, it’s what they do’.
New line up: (L-R) Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse
And the television personality had nothing but praise Anton Du Beke who was announced as a his full time replacement earlier this year.
He said: ‘He’s very good because he’s done it his way and the only way to make it work is to make it yours’.
Adding: ‘Forget whoever did it before you and that is why he’s done a very good job’.
American Judges: Bruno (right) host dancing with the stars alongside former Strictly head judge Len Goodman (centre) and dancer Carrie Ann Inaba
Speaking about his attempts to juggle both dancing competitions on either sides of the world he said earlier this year: ‘I just couldn’t do the flying any more, I don’t know how I survived that schedule. To be honest, it’s a miracle.’
Strictly would go on late into the night on a Saturday, and Bruno said he would make it home to his flat in Maida Vale around midnight then rise early the next morning to fly to Los Angeles, with meetings as soon as he landed. He’d work on Dancing With The Stars for a few days then take another flight back to London to prepare for that weekend’s Strictly.
‘Then I was back on the plane to America again on Sunday morning. For 11 weeks in a row!’
Exhausted: Speaking about his attempts to juggle both dancing competitions on either sides of the world he said earlier this year: ‘I just couldn’t do the flying any more, I don’t know how I survived that schedule. To be honest, it’s a miracle’
Source: | Dailymail.co.uk