Strictly Come Dancing’s Bruno quits the show after 18 years

The Italian choreographer joined the show in 2004.

Strictly Come Dancing's Bruno Tonioli has quit the show after 18 years. It is believed the judge wants to focus on his role in Dancing with the Stars. Bruno was absent from last year's series due to pandemic travel restrictions. The Daily Mail has now confirmed that the 66-year-old Italian choreographer has quit. "Bruno has quit the show for good," a source told the publication. "He's going to be a judge only on Dancing With The Stars from now on." Bruno has been part of the show since it first aired in 2004. The 66-year-old was part of the original judging panel with Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Arlene Phillips. He currently works with Len on the American version of Strictly. Last year, he was replaced by professional dancer Anton Du Beke. However, Du Beke has yet to confirm if he will return to the show or not. Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, and Motsi Mabuse also haven't confirmed if they'll return for another series. Bruno's departure comes after Oti Mabuse and Aljaž Škorjanec quit the show. Both of the dancers revealed they would not be returning to Strictly in 2022. Aljaž was part of the show for nine years, and Oti was a Strictly pro for seven years. Fans were devastated to hear the popular dancers were leaving. Earlier this year, the BBC confirmed that pro-dancers Giovanni, Amy, Dianne, Johannes, Karen, Gorka, and Graziano would return for another series.