Strictly’s Shirley Ballas drops huge hint Bruno Tonioli is returning to the show after quitting BGT liennhi

SHIRLEY Ballas has sparked speculation that Bruno Tonioli could be returning to Strictly Come Dancing after the head judge shared a cryptic Instagram post.

The BBC star posted a photo alongside Bruno, captioning it, “Just can’t wait to be back”.

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The timing of her post coincides with mounting reports that he is preparing to quit Britain’s Got Talent after just two series.

Bruno, known for his flamboyant judging style, joined Strictly in 2004 and was a fixture on the panel until 2019. 

He took a break during the pandemic due to transatlantic travel complications while filming Dancing with the Stars in the United States, and officially stepped down from Strictly in 2022. 

He was replaced by long-time professional dancer Anton Du Beke, who was later confirmed as a full-time judge in 2022. 

Bruno’s exit was never positioned as permanent, leaving the possibility of a return open.

Now his future on Britain’s Got Talent appears to be in question due to scheduling conflicts with his U.S. commitments. 

Bruno was brought onto BGT in 2023 following the departure of David Walliams, a decision personally backed by Simon Cowell despite speculation that comedian Alan Carr would take the role.

A television insider said that changes to BGT’s 2025 filming timetable have made Bruno’s continued presence on the show increasingly difficult.

A TV insider said: “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.”

Last year the show was able to work around Bruno’s availability by splitting audition weeks.

KSI stood in for him during Blackpool tapings in October, while Bruno returned for auditions in London in January. 

However, this year all auditions are set to be recorded back-to-back over a single fortnight in October across Blackpool and Birmingham, overlapping directly with Dancing with the Stars filming in the U.S.

With his exit looking increasingly likely, attention has turned to potential replacements. 

KSI, who impressed viewers during last year’s Blackpool auditions and during a guest appearance on the live semi-finals, is seen as a leading candidate.

Alan Carr, a close friend of Amanda Holden and original favourite to replace Walliams, is also expected to be in the running.

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