Bruno Tonioli to be replaced on ITV Britain’s Got Talent 2024 in judging panel shake up
Bruno Tonioli has been friends with Simon Cowell for four decades, and the latter rubbished speculation his pal had been replaced - but now there's a new judge on the scene.
Bruno Tonioli is to share his Britain's Got Talent judging slot with social media star KSI, who will step in when he is in the USA filming for Dancing With The Stars, a new report has revealed.
The 31-year-old YouTube sensation, whose music has been streamed over 2.7 billion times online, has revealed he was left "laughing his a*** off" when he got the call inviting him to be part of the show. BGT will host its first round of auditions in Blackpool this month, but Bruno's commitments overseas mean he can't be present for all of the sessions.
KSI will step in for three out of five days during those initial auditions, with bosses reportedly believing he will open the show to a wider audience who may not otherwise have tuned in. According to The Sun, a source revealed: "Their new judge doesn't just know a thing or two about entertaining, he has a colossal following who are largely young and tech savvy, which is just the sort of viewer that the show now thrives on."
They added: "BGT isn't just a TV show - it's a global internet phenomenon as well, with clips of the various acts being watched a staggering 24 billion times around the world. [That's] why KSI is the perfect match, as his music alone has been streamed 2.7 billion times."
He has two new singles out this week - Thick of It and Low - while he's also delved into entrepreneurship. KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, co-founded an energy drink brand Prime with fellow internet personality Logan Paul.
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Fans queued up at dawn to buy bottles when it first launched in 2023, and the brand made profits of almost £27 million during the first year.
Though profits and buyers' appetites for purchasing seem to have dwindled in recent months, he's also explored other fields such as boxing - and of course BGT.
The deal was reportedly struck last week, and The Sun reports KSI as saying: "I’m so excited to be a guest judge for BGT.
"When I got the call up, I couldn’t believe it. I remember watching old BGT episodes and going from being amazed to laughing my a*** off.
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"I’m buzzing to see all the fresh new talent, and I’ll be sure to leave a mark.”
Simon Cowell had previously revealed that he'd fork out however much it cost to have Bruno flown between Britain and the US, so he could juggle his commitments in both countries.
He's kept that promise - but he can't be present for every single show.
Fans might be surprised to learn that KSI will be his stand-in, following earlier reports that Alan Carr would be the first in line to replace Bruno should he be unavailable.
