Bruno Tonioli 'quits Strictly Come Dancing' after 18 years on the show

Bruno Tonioli has reportedly quit Strictly Come Dancing after 18 years as a judge on the show. 

The Italian dancer and choreographer is believed to be stepping away from BBC dance contest after nearly two decades, much to the disappointment of fans.

This is yet another shake-up for the iconic competition as he is now the third fan-favourite star to leave with Strictly Pro Oti Mabuse announcing her departure (opens in new tab) from the show, swiftly followed by Aljaž Škorjanec who also quit (opens in new tab) earlier this year.

Though it is not all bad news, as the Daily Mail (opens in new tab) reports that fans can still catch him as a judge on Dancing With The Stars - the US equivalent of  Strictly. And new Strictly Come Dancing pros (opens in new tab) have been announced.

An insider told the publication, “Bruno has quit the show for good. He's going to be a judge only on Dancing With The Stars from now on.”

This may not come as a big surprise for fans of the show as the 66-year-old was absent from Strictly 2021 (opens in new tab) and replaced by former Strictly pro, Anton Du Beke (opens in new tab). His absence was due to travel and Covid restrictions. He also appeared fleetingly during the 2020 series over a video call.

Fans have taken to Twitter to react to the news with many now calling for Du Beke to permanently replace him, with one Strictly lover writing, “Awww sorry to hear @BrunoTonioli has left @bbcstrictly he was fab! Now time to announce @TheAntonDuBeke as the new 4th judge.”

Despite the sad news, fans do have the 2022 series of Strictly to look forward to in autumn, with a host of new celebrities taking on the Tango and the Foxtrot.

The lineup is likely to be announced in August, with Digital Spy (opens in new tab) reporting rumours that the likes of Andrew Garfield and even Louis Theroux could be involved in the all-star line up for the upcoming season.