Bruno Tonioli is returning to British Saturday night TV after landing the job to replace David Walliams on Britain's Got Talent.
The former Strictly Come Dancing star, 67, will start filming auditions next week alongside close pal and show boss Simon Cowell.
Insiders said they were “thrilled” by the deal, which will be signed and made official in the next few days.
One source revealed: “Bruno has all the right experience and his famous exuberance will go down a treat. He and Simon have long hoped to work together so this has proved the perfect opportunity. Everyone’s very excited.”
Italian Bruno remains a judge on the US version of Strictly, Dancing with the Stars, which films in the autumn.
He was a regular on the BBC ballroom show for 17 series from 2004, until Covid prevented him from flying over from the US in 2020. He has since been replaced on the panel by ex-pro dancer Anton du Beke.
His decision to join BGT sees him follow in the footsteps of Alesha Dixon, who was a judge on Strictly for three years after winning the show in 2007.
Bruno, who is based in Los Angeles, was known on Strictly for his funny and passionate verdicts which often involved energetic arm-waving. He caused uproar by falling off his chair more than once.
Bruno and Simon have long tried to dream up a way for him to join BGT. In 2018, Bruno revealed: “I’ve told him to come up with something new and we’ll think about it. We have discussed these things for a number of years but it has never come to anything concrete.”
Since leaving Strictly, Bruno has appeared alongside Craig Revel Horwood in ITV travel series Great British Road Trips and he also took part in The Masked Dancer.
Filming for Britain’s Got Talent kicks off at the London Palladium on January 24.
Funnyman Alan Carr, who was also being considered for the job, will now be lined up for other roles on the channel, having left ITV bosses "hugely impressed".
Walliams is leaving the series after it was revealed he had slated two contestants while recording the show in 2020.
The children’s author, 51, later said he was sorry for his nasty remarks, explaining: “I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain’s Got Talent in 2020. These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry.”
He now intends to “leave on a high” after a decade on BGT. “He hasn't taken the decision lightly, but it feels like time to move on and focus on his other projects,” one pal has explained.
