Britain’s Got Talent judge Bruno Tonioli has opened up about an audition that was so “horrifying” he wanted it to stop.
The Italian dancer returned to the panel this year alongside Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden. The brand-new 18th series kicked off on Saturday (February 22) with Ant and Dec as hosts.
Later in the season, Bruno will be temporarily replaced by YouTube star KSI after he had already committed to film for Dancing With The Stars in the US.
Bruno Tonioli ‘wanted to stop’ Britain’s Got Talent audition
In an exclusive interview with OK!, Bruno opened up about the new Britain’s Got Talent series.
“This year we’ve seen some amazing acts that are absolutely astonishing on every level,” he said. Bruno described some auditions as “unbelievably grotesque”, and some as “unbelievably inspiring”.
One audition, on the other hand, had the former Strictly judge concerned for Simon’s wellbeing. So much that he wanted it to end immediately.
“The great thing about this show is that you go from laughing to crying to being completely horrified,” Bruno explained. “One act had big hammers and axes! They were smashing things. That got me very worried, I wanted to stop it.”
While remaining tight-lipped about the upcoming episodes, Bruno revealed all judges and hosts made it through safely after the audition was put to a stop. Insisting everyone came out of the situation in “one piece”, health and safety still had to step in.
‘I’m crying now’
During an appearance on This Morning on Thursday (February 20), Bruno got emotional while talking to hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary about the new series.
Describing the talent as “incredible”, Bruno said: “It surprises me every time because, you know, I’ve been doing this for a very long time, so I don’t make it up.
He continued: “I feel like I’m not even judging, I’m commenting from my heart because I know what they go through. I know how hard it is to perform in front of an audience, to audition. It means a lot to them. I’m crying now, and I’m actually a part of it.”
“And sometimes the talent blows your mind, and I find it very encouraging that there’s so much talent out there. Some are absolutely bonkers, but that’s what it is; you never know what is going to happen from one moment to another.”
Read more: BGT fans threaten to boycott show over Bruno Tonioli’s replacement KSI
BGT is on ITV1 on Saturday nights. It repeats on Sunday (February 23) at 3.45pm on ITV2.
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