'Strictly's' Bruno Tonioli happy for Cheryl to replace him if he can't do show

Bruno Tonioli has said he would be happy for Cheryl to fill in for him on Strictly Come Dancing if he ends up missing the show because of travel restrictions.

The star usually divides his time between the UK, where he is on the judging panel of the BBC show alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse, and the US, where he is a panellist on Dancing With The Stars.

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But with uncertainty surrounding the travel situation because of the coronavirus pandemic, there is speculation that it might be too tough for Tonioli to do both this year.

If that ends up being the case, Cheryl’s name has been bandied around as a possible replacement.

Tonioli told The Sun: “If Cheryl does end up doing it, there would be nothing wrong with that. S

“he’s a lovely girl. I like her.

“Of course she’s not me, but we’re all different.

“We all have different things to offer but I’ve heard nothing concrete.”

If wouldn’t be the first time Cheryl has been a TV show judge – the singer has some experience on The X Factor panel under her belt and has most recently been seen dishing out critiques on The Greatest Dancer.

There had been a lot of speculation about whether Strictly would go be able to go ahead this year.

It has now been confirmed that it will, but that the series will be "slightly shorter" than its usual 13-week run.

Read more: Joe Wicks vows he won’t do Strictly

A spokesperson for the show said in a statement: "The Strictly Come Dancing team are doing everything they can to bring the nation plenty of Strictly magic later this year.

"To ensure we deliver the high standards audiences know and love, and in light of the ongoing considerations around COVID-19, this year’s series of Strictly will have a slightly shorter run than usual.

"The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us and further updates will be made in due course."

So far there is no official word on which celebs might be vying for the coveted Glitterball trophy this year.