Bruno Tonioli has become a last minute contender to replace David Walliams on Britain's Got Talent - competing in a two-horse race with Alan Carr.
The former Strictly Come Dancing star is now a frontrunner for the job alongside funnyman Alan, who is best friends with BGT judge Amanda Holden.
The Mirror revealed that Alan was in pole position to land the role in November.
Now insiders say the final decision must be made soon by show boss and head judge Simon Cowell - because filming starts at the end of the month.
One source said: "This is Simon's call and it's well known he doesn't like to be rushed when it comes to making big decisions, so it'll probably go down to the wire.
"Bruno is an old friend and he's long wanted to work with him. He is also tried and tested on Saturday nights and Simon knows that he has a huge fan base in the UK - loads of people would love to see him back on British telly.
"Alan has been a favourite for the job from the start - he is very funny, very experienced and much-loved. It’s a tough decision but Simon needs to get on with it."
Italian Bruno, 67, was a regular on BBC1's Strictly for 17 series from 2004, until Covid prevented him from flying over from the US in 2020. He has since been replaced on the panel by his stand-in, ex-pro dancer Anton du Beke.
If he did sign up for BGT, he would tread the same path as Alesha Dixon, who was a judge on Strictly for three years, having previously won the show as a contestant in 2007. Bruno, who is based in Los Angeles like Cowell, was known on Strictly for his arm-waving and passionate delivery.
Alan, 46, became a household name thanks to his comedy chat show, Chatty Man, which ran on Channel 4 for a decade from 2006. He is also a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK, and host of the BBC 's Interior Design Masters.
One source said talks were ongoing, but no offers had yet been made. Filming for Britain's Got Talent kicks off at the London Palladium on January 24.
Walliams is set to leave after it was revealed he had slated two contestants while recording the show in 2020.
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In November it emerged he'd insulted an older performer three times after he'd made a lighthearted jibe about the comic during his act. According to a leaked transcript of a recording seen by the Guardian, he called an elderly contestant a "c***" while off-air and made sexually explicit remarks about a young female contestant, saying: "She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don't."
When news of his remarks broke, ITV said duty of care towards participants on BGT was "of paramount importance" adding in a statement: "We do not condone the language outlined in these allegations, and we have spoken to the producers of Britain’s Got Talent."
Children's author Walliams, 51, said he was sorry, explaining: "I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain's Got Talent in 2020. These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry."
He is hopeful that he can "leave on a high" after a decade of appearing on the show. "David hasn't taken the decision lightly, but it feels like time to move on and focus on his other projects," one pal said last year.
But any decision to step down is at odds with his previously stated aim of remaining on TV for as long as possible. "There's a day when you're pensioned off television, unless you're Bruce Forsyth, but if people want me on screen I'll happily be on screen," he once mused. "I love it."
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