Bruno Tonioli

In 1980, as part of the group Duke and the Aces, Tonioli performed in but did not win the United Kingdom's competition to select an entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.[1]

Tonioli has worked in the music business as a choreographer for music videos, stage shows, and tours for artists such as Tina Turner, Sting, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Freddie Mercury, Sinitta, Boy George, Dead or Alive, Bananarama, and Duran Duran. He danced in the Elton John video for "I'm Still Standing" (1983).[2]

Tonioli choreographed the band Arcadia's music video for their song "Election Day" as documented in a 1980s documentary entitled The Making of Election Day. He was the choreographer for Ella Enchanted's Minnie Driver.[2]

In November 2016, Tonioli lent his name to an album released by Decca entitled An Italian Romance – a compilation of Italian songs by various artists selected by Tonioli. The cover of the album was shot by John Mac.[3]

In November 2018, Tonioli presented the BBC Radio 2 series Bruno Tonioli at the Opera.[4]

In October 2022, Tonioli competed in the second series of The Masked Dancer as Pearly King. He was in third place.

In January 2023, it was announced that Tonioli would be joining the judging panel on the British talent show Britain's Got Talent, replacing David Walliams.[5]

In 2004, Tonioli was elected to be a Judge on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, along with Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips & Len Goodman. In 2005, he was then chosen to be a judge on Dancing with the Stars, where he has remained until present. As he was a judge on both Strictly and its American counterpart, Dancing with the Stars, in Series 16 and 17, during two weeks in both series, he was replaced by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro, due to a broadcasting conflict between the two shows.

Tonioli quickly became known for his commentary style, often including colourful descriptives. As examples, during his time with the U.S. Dancing With the Stars, Tonioli called Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan "a little lynx on the prowl" and labelled singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus "a crazy bear lost in a swamp".[6]

In 2020, due to COVID restrictions, Tonioli was stuck in the US and therefore did not appear on the judging panel at all during the series, but instead featured each week during the Judges' chat with Claudia via video call during the results show.

On 24 June 2021, it was announced that Anton Du Beke, the longest-running Strictly professional, would replace Tonioli as a permanent judge on Strictly Come Dancing for series 19.[7] It was then announced on 19 May 2022 that Tonioli would not be returning to Strictly, and that Du Beke would take over permanently.[8] Tonioli remarked on the matter:

"Well I always will miss it, it's my family, I mean we'll always be friends and you never know what's going to happen. At the moment, you know it's just as impossible, you know the situation is too complicated but they're all my brothers and sisters. We're all loving each other, you know, no hard feelings, they're great, they do a great job.”[9]

In 2016, a surprise challenge saw Tonioli work with Jodie Sweetin and season 22 (U.S.) eventual-winner Nyle DiMarco and their professional partners. During the sequence, the two celebrities swapped partners, seeing DiMarco and Keo Motsepe dance the tango in ballroom hold, with both men shirtless, and Mostsepe lift and twirl DiMarco. This was the first time a same-sex pairing danced in any franchise of the show.[10]

On Christmas Day 2022, in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, Tonioli surprised viewers by making a guest appearance, and singing "Don't Leave Me This Way" by The Communards.[11] Reactions to the performance were mixed.[12][13][14]

In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine said that Tonioli had "won America's heart with his gay-Italian-maniac steez."[17]

Tonioli is fluent in five languages: Italian, English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French.[18] He has lived in London since 1975.[19]

Tonioli is gay and has spoken of the homophobic bullying he suffered in his youth.[20]

• Judges' biography at BBC Strictly Come Dancing site Archived 2010-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
• Biography at ABC Dancing with the Stars site
• Dancing With The Stars: Is Michael Bolton Over-Reacting? at KRTH-FM
• Bruno Tonioli at IMDb