Fans Debate Familiar Face Possibly Joining Season 33 Amid Emergency Situation

Heavy/ABC Will Mark Ballas replace Bruno Tonioli?

Some “Dancing With the Stars” fans are wondering if Mark Ballas will join the show to take over for Bruno Tonioli as a judge on season 33 — at least temporarily.

On October 17, 2024, The Sun reported that Tonioli had been tapped to fill in for Simon Cowell as a judge on “Britain’s Got Talent.” Auditions for the new season were paused, but had resumed with judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI, joining Tonioli, on October 19.

The decision to have Tonioli fill in on “Britain’s Got Talent” came after the sudden death of One Direction member, Liam Payne. Cowell need to take some time to mourn the loss of Payne, whom he first met while working on the “X Factor.”

“This news has hit Simon incredibly hard – he is utterly shocked and devastated,” a source told The Sun. “He adored Liam, and was close to his family with whom he is sure to reach out privately. He didn’t feel it was right to continue with filming BGT, and when it resumes on Saturday, does not feel he’ll be in the right head space to continue,” the source continued.

Tonioli films “Dancing With the Stars” on Tuesday nights. It’s unclear if he will be back in the United States to film this week or if someone will take his place.

Fans Don’t Want Bruno Tonioli to Leave ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Ballas was a guest judge on the October 16, 2024, episode of “Dancing With the Stars” and fans absolutely loved seeing him in that role. In fact, after it was over, dozens of fans expressed wanting Ballas to be added in as a fourth judge.

Interestingly, however, when a fan brought up the possibility of Ballas taking over for Tonioli while he fills in for Cowell, most people were against it.

“It’s definitely a possibility. Mark would be an excellent substitute in place of Bruno. But I thought BGT filmed later, like after DWTS. Did Bruno miss time on BGT last year too?” one Redditor wondered.

“If Bruno is ever unable to make it I definitely see them asking Mark BUT I think his BGT schedule will revolve around DWTS which I feel he’d prioritise, as normally BGT starts filming auditions in January,” someone else said.

“Mark over Bruno would be fine with me. I’m kind of tired of Bruno’s schtick. I’m sure he’s nice, but Mark would be a welcome replacement,” a third comment read.

“I mean… It would largely depend on when BGT records I assume. If for some reason there is a very close timetable, they probably have someone in reserve to guest judge if needed (Honestly, they could just have Julianne fill in if they needed to),” a fourth person added.

Simon Cowell Penned a Lengthy Tribute to Liam Payne

Cowell got incredibly close to the guys in One Direction, the band that he’s responsible for putting together.

After Payne’s death, Cowell released a heart-felt statement on social media.

“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell wrote.

“Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you. This is so difficult to put in words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together,” he continued.

Cowell went on to say that he sat down for a talk with Payne in 2023 and the two “reminisced” about the “fun times” they had together. Cowell also noted that he met Payne’s son, Bear.

“He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes that you have,” Cowell said.

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