Strictly Come Dancing star Bruno Tonioli has expressed his desire to only pass away while performing on the stage.
Bruno, a judge on the BBC show until he quit in 2022 and now on its US version Dancing With The Stars, has stated that if he dies, it will happen while he's working.
The 68-year-old said: ‘If I drop dead I will drop dead on stage. I love what I do. I always had this dream since I was a kid and what has happened is beyond what I could have ever dreamed of.
‘Obviously I had to work very hard, I had to teach myself languages, but still being here, still working in the UK, still working in Hollywood. It’s like, “Wow! It’s meant to be”.’
In addition to working in the US, Bruno is a judge on Britain’s Got Talent after replacing David Walliams.
He now works on the ITV show alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon and has said he plans to get Botox because he is ‘the only person with wrinkles.’
Bruno told The Sun: ‘I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and said, “Bloody hell, I am the only person with wrinkles”.
‘I do my thing but I haven’t done Botox yet. I will now. There’s nothing wrong with it if it makes you look better on screen, I’m not commenting on that.
‘I think I could do with a bit. I’m very expressive, so I’m not sure if I could cope if I couldn’t move my face.’
Bruno officially quit Strictly in 2022 and had missed the previous season due to Covid travel restrictions.
Revealing the reason behind his decision, he told The One Show: ‘Unfortunately Dancing With The Stars has moved over to Disney+ to stream live, which is a big deal and very, very exciting.
‘And again, because of the travel situation, I can not really guarantee that I’m going to be there, because anything can happen.’
He explained that the travel restrictions between the UK and US due to Covid meant he could no longer reliably fly between the countries each week.
Bruno added of his replacement Anton Du Beke: ‘It’s absolutely my decision and I think Anton has done a fantastic job and deserves to be on that seat.’
In 2023, Bruno was announced as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent during the taping of the first audition show when Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly welcomed the newcomer into the auditorium with his fellow judges.
Referring to Simon, Bruno said: ‘He’s teased me with this for years. Years and years and years, and tell you, honestly, I’m thrilled to be here.’
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
