Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has opened up about his relationship with Bruno Tonioli since he replaced him on the BBC ballroom show.
The 56-year-old has been a pro dancer on the show since its first series, but was added to the judging panel after Bruno, 66, was unable to appear due to coronavirus travel restrictions.
In a new interview, Anton said he is not in touch with Bruno since the replacement was made permanent ahead of the hotly-anticipated next series of the show.
However, he was quick to dismiss any suggestion of a feud between the pair, particularly after Bruno made a cutting remark in the weeks after Anton was announced as a judge for the series, joking in an interview with The Sun on Sunday: “Good for him. He needs the money.”
Anton told The Sun: “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.”
Asked if he has spoken to his predecessor since being appointed this year, Anton admitted: “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’.”
Speaking about his debut on the panel last year, he continued: “I always knew it could be taken away, however good I was on the judging panel, but I took the same attitude as I did when I was competing, which is that I can only control what I do.
“All you can do is be ready and do your best. I was pleased with my performance on the show, but I was only stepping in. If Bruno had wanted to come back, the bosses couldn’t say to him, ‘We don’t want you’.
“If it had been the other way around and that had happened to me, I would have been really disappointed. So it would have been fair enough. It was his job in the first place, and I’d have gone back to dancing.”
Last month the complete line-up was officially announced with Kym Marsh, Will Mellor and Helen Skelton all set to take part, as well as James Bye and Tony Adams.
Joining them are Hamza Yassin, Fleur East, Molly Rainford, Ellie Taylor and Matt Goss. Also on the bill are Tyler West, Ellie Simmonds, Jayde Adams, Kaye Adams and Richie Anderson.
Strictly officially has a start date as it is set to hit screens on Saturday, September 17, pro dancer Johannes Radebe.
There's a big change to the pro line-up this year, with pro dancers Oti Mabuse and Aljaz Skorjanec having left the series.
The BBC show announced that four new professionals would be joining the show. European cup winner Vito Coppola , Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu , former Under 21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas will all be taking to the stage.
