The Sun has reported that the former Strictly Come Dancing judge will leave the show after just two series. The 69-year-old choreographer is said to be unavailable for two weeks of the upcoming audition filming, due to take place this autumn, as the scheduled will directly clash with his filming schedule for US competition show Dancing With The Stars.
A source told the newspaper: “The filming schedule in 2024 meant that Bruno could get away with not being present for filming one week of auditions. But it would be virtually impossible for him to miss two weeks, because in the final edit, that equates to half the episodes in the new three-month run of BGT, which will air from February of 2026.
“There is absolutely no ill feeling about the situation, it’s simply down to changes in the schedule making it incredibly difficult to remain as a full time judge. The only hope is if his long-time friend and fellow panellist Simon Cowell steps in to make it clear that he has to be a part of the show, no matter how difficult it proves to be.”
Who could replace Bruno Tonioli on Britain’s Got Talent?
The frontrunner to replace Bruno on the judging panel is YouTuber and rapper KSI. The star, whose real name is JJ Olatunji, appeared as a guest judge on the last series of the show earlier this year, replacing Bruno during auditions that he was unavailable to film.
Viewers raved over KSI’s appearance on the show, with one fans saying on X (formerly Twitter): “How hilarious is KSI lmfao can we keep him as a full time judge!!!!” His successful stint on the show even earned him a nomination for Best Reality TV Judge at the National Reality TV Awards 2025.
Another name linked to the vacant seat on the BGT judging panel is comedian Alan Carr. While Alan hasn’t appeared on the show as a judge yet, he is famously close pals with Amanda Holden, with the pair charming viewers with their cheeky friendship in shows such as ‘Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job’.
Alan had previously been linked to BGT after David Walliams departure in 2022. He is said to have been favourite to replace the star on the panel, but Simon took the decision to have Bruno join the show instead.
