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Dancing With the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli missed most of the 2020 season of Strictly; now, some cast members have spoken about some plans for how Tonioli could be involved in the upcoming season.
According to Bustle, professional dancer and judge Craig Revel Horwood opened up about the possibility of Tonioli returning for the 2021 season of the show.
“We really do want him there in the seat… whether he stays in the seat or not, as he’s generally up and down like a yo-yo!” Revel Horwood said on Good Morning Britain.
Bruno Tonioli Has Been Encouraged to Return to ‘Strictly Come Dancing’
According to Horwood, the cast would really like it if Tonioli were able to return to Strictly Come Dancing.
“Of course we want him back,” Revel Horwood told the outlet. “If he can’t come back then he’ll do what he did last time, you know, due to restrictions, and just do lives and crosses and feeds to the studio, which was great fun as it was anyway.”
The professional dancer lineup for the upcoming season has been announced, so it’s likely that the lineup of judges will also be announced shortly.
The Daily Mail reported on January 2 that Tonioli had been paid £125,000, which is around $170,000, for just five minutes of screentime on the 2020 season of Strictly. Now, sources tell the outlet that it’s possible that executives may not sign Tonioli on for 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions and the possibility of having to pay the same type of fees once again.
“This time last year, Bruno had been signed up but things are so much less certain now,” a source told the outlet. “It is very unlikely the BBC will allow themselves to be in the same position they were this year and end up spending so much money for such little value.”
Tonioli Scored a New TV Job Alongside Revel Horwood
Bruno Tonioli isn’t putting all of his eggs in the Dancing With the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing baskets, however. The TV star will be the host of a new travel show for ITV alongside Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood, according to Deadline.
The outlet reported that Tonioli and Revel Horwood will be hosting the travel show, which will feature spots from all over the UK and is currently titled Craig and Bruno’s Great British Adventure.
The show will be produced by RDF, the production company that worked on Tipping Point and The Crystal Maze, according to Deadline.
The men have worked on Strictly Come Dancing together for 16 years, but this will be their first time working on a show for ITV.
The show is being filmed across the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic and international travel restrictions, according to Deadline.
Tonioli will be returning to ABC’s Dancing With the Stars for the upcoming season 30, which is set to air in the fall of 2021 and will feature him alongside judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Derek Hough as well as host Tyra Banks.
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