Bruno Tonioli has said he had "no idea" he had been in the running to join the judging panel on Britain's Got Talent (BGT), teasing that he hadn't ever seen the show.
The choreographer, 67, made the remarks ahead of the ITV talent show returning for its new series, with his debut appearance as a judge set to air over the weekend.
He was named as the latest judge earlier this year following the departure of David Walliams, 51 – who had been one of the four people on the panel for a decade before he quit last year.
Bruno has joined long-serving judges Simon Cowell, 63, Alesha Dixon, 44, and Amanda Holden, 52, on BGT's panel.
Bruno – who was previously a judge on Strictly Come Dancing – was a guest on the One Show this evening and discussed his position on BGT ahead of its new series.
He told presenters Alex Jones, 46, and Anita Rani, 45, on the BBC show: "The crazy thing is I had no idea I was up for the job. I had no idea. I never seen it in my life. I never watched it".
Anita questioned whether he had conducted any research, asking the guest: "Normally when you go for a job you do your research. Did you do your research [beforehand]?"
Bruno responded: "How do I research? I got the job and I was on screen the next week." He added that he "did his thing" at auditions after enquiring about any rules.
He was announced as the latest judge on BGT earlier this year, following speculation that Alan Carr, 46, was up for the position after fellow comedian David's departure.
It was later reported that Bruno was being considered for the role, with him named as the latest addition to the panel shortly before auditions began towards the end of January.
During his appearance on the One Show this evening, Bruno said that BGT is "completely different" to Strictly, which he'd been a judge on from 2004 until his departure in 2020.
He explained: "The range of talent is incredible." Bruno further commented that acts on the show include singers, dancers, acrobats, theatre groups, choirs and magicians.
The One Show airs weekdays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7pm. BGT returns Saturday (April 15) on ITV and ITVX from 8pm and then continues Sunday (April 16) at 7.45pm.
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