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

Julia Hunt
·Contributor
Updated ·2-min read
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Cheryl attends the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball at The O2 Arena on December 09, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jo Hale/Redferns)
Cheryl attends the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball at The O2 Arena on December 09, 2018 (Jo Hale/Redferns)

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.

Read more: Strictly’s Neil Jones was homeless as a teenager

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.

Photo by: zz/KGC-247/STAR MAX/IPx 2019 6/27/19 Bruno Tonioli at the press night for "On Your Feet: The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan" held at the London Coliseum, St. Martin's Lane, London, England, UK.
Bruno Tonioli at the press night for "On Your Feet: The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan" in London (Photo by: zz/KGC-247/STAR MAX/IPx 2019 6/27/19)

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.

Photo by: KGC-143/STAR MAX/IPx 2015 8/26/15 Cheryl Ann Fernandez-Versini aka Cheryl Cole at the media launch for The X Factor. (London, England, UK)
Cheryl at the media launch for The X Factor (Photo by: KGC-143/STAR MAX/IPx 2015 8/26/15)

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.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: (L-R) Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Bruno Tonioli and Shirley Ballas attend the "Strictly Come Dancing" launch show red carpet arrivals at Television Centre on August 26, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Bruno Tonioli and Shirley Ballas attend the "Strictly Come Dancing" launch show in 2019 (Karwai Tang/WireImage)

"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.

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