Anton Du Beke has revealed he hasn’t spoken to Bruno Tonioli since replacing him as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing – but firmly quashed any speculation of a feud between the pair.
The 56-year-old dancer, who has appeared on every series of the BBC’s flagship Saturday evening show since it was revived in 2004, was initially a professional paired to dance with celebrities.
However, when Covid hit he ended up replacing Bruno on the judging panel for the full 2021 series, as the flamboyant judge – also a popular fixture since 2004 – had to stay in the US where he is a judge on Dancing with the Stars, owing to flight restrictions.
Ahead of this year’s series starting later this month, Bruno’s permanent departure from the show was confirmed, with Anton taking his seat with fellow judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and head judge Shirley Ballas.
The TV star and author has also explained that he would have stood aside if Bruno, 66, had returned.
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Discussing a joke Bruno made about Anton ‘needing the money’ when he was unveiled as a judge, he responded easily: ‘I think he was just mucking around. I can imagine him saying it.
‘I think it looked more punchy than it was. So I didn’t get the hump over it at all. It actually made me laugh.’
He then added to The Sun: ‘I haven’t spoken to him. I haven’t spoken to any of the judges.
‘It was all down to circumstance really. The situation with flying still isn’t ideal — we all know how many flights are being cancelled — and Bruno said to the BBC, “Listen, I can’t do both shows. Thank you very much and good luck”.’
Anton also revealed he hasn’t got comfortable in his chair just yet – and neither did he in his years of dancing on the show – as he ‘always knew it could be taken away, however good I was’.
His fellow series one pro Brendan Cole did not have his contract renewed with the BBC ahead of the 2018 series, an ‘editorial decision’ he said at the time was ‘very rare’ and ‘quite hard to talk about’.
Considering himself as ‘just stepping in’ to the judging role last year, Anton also said he would ‘have gone back to dancing’ if Bruno had wanted to return rather than walking away.
‘To do what? I can’t think of anything better than being on Strictly,’ he added.
It seems presenter Tess Daly agrees, who co-hosts the show with Claudia Winkleman. Another fixture since 2004, her husband recently Vernon Kay declared that she wants to keep presenting Strictly until she’s in her 80s.
Strictly Come Dancing 2022 line-up in full
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Her former co-host Sir Bruce Forsyth stepped down when he was 86.
This year’s celebrity line-up includes Paralympian Ellie Simmonds, Ted Lasso star Ellie Taylor, Loose Women star Kaye Adams, actor Will Mellor and Bros star Matt Goss.
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Strictly Come Dancing is set to launch on Saturday September 17 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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