Yahoo News Danny John-Jules wants harsh judging from 'old friend' Bruno on 'Strictly' to avoid 'fix claims'
Danny John-Jules has said that he wants Bruno Tonioli to judge him harshly on Strictly Come Dancing to avoid any possible claims of a fix.
The Red Dwarf actor has revealed that he has known Tonioli for over 35 years, when they both attended the same ‘dance centre’ in London.
He will take to the dancefloor in two weeks time, after being paired with pro-dancer Amy Dowden during the series launch at the weekend.
“I’ve known him over 35 years. We first met in the late 70s. I don’t want him to be nice to me on Strictly because it would look like a fix,” he told the Daily Mirror.
“I want him to be as wicked to me as he is to anyone else.
“I don’t expect any old pals’ act. Bruno and I used to go to a dance centre together but I want him to be as wicked to me as he is to everyone else on Strictly – and he will be.
“I don’t want him to be nice to me on the show because it would look like a fix.”
Danny also revealed that he’d apologised to Bruno after tweets emerged in which he accused the show of having a racial agenda in who was voted off.
The 2016 series came under fire after radio presenter Melvin Odoom, actress Tameka Empson and BBC Breakfast’s Naga Munchetty all got voted off first.
The Death In Paradise actor tweeted how the show ‘always get rid of the black guy first’ and had a ‘modus operandi to vote off the brother in the afro’.
Speaking to the Daily Star, John-Jules said: “The first person I went to in make-up was Bruno.
“And I said to him: ‘I’m here to apologise’.
“And he said: ‘Darling, we’ve known each other far too long’. That was his response. I’ve known him since the 70s. But as I said if anyone was offended I was there to apologise.”
Read more
Robbie Williams’ dad was on The X Factor
Kate Silverton: We’ll reverse Strictly curse
Viewers stunned by Bodyguard twist
