Famous Youtuber ‘to stand-in for Bruno Tonioli during Britain’s Got Talent filming clash’

Virgin Radio

9 Jun 2024, 14:45

A massive YouTube creator is reportedly set to fill in for Bruno Tonioli on Britain’s Got Talent when filming picks back up for the ITV competition series. 

According to The Sun, YouTuber and boxer KSI will stand in for the judge, who may have to leave the panel temporarily due to his filming commitments in the US, including Dancing with the Stars. 

KSI would certainly be a major draw with a younger audience given his 24.1 million followers on YouTube and 13 million followers on Instagram, and that’s exactly what bosses are allegedly after. 

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A source told the publication: “Simon Cowell knows KSI is a huge hit with the younger generation. He would be a great addition to pull in teenage fans, which is something the producers are keen to do.

“KSI is chatting to bosses in the hope of agreeing a deal that would also work with his hectic schedule.”

The internet star has previously appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox, and is currently in negotiations to fight ex-world champion Amir Khan.

KSI's reported involvement in BGT comes after speculation that former Strictly judge Bruno wouldn’t be able to attend filming for some of the auditions after the show was reportedly extended to later in the year to fill the gap left by Saturday Night Takeaway. 

The reported £100 million format shake-up would see the show film from February to May 2025, which could cause a tricky clash for Bruno and his DWTS schedule. 

Earlier in the week, it was reported that Alan Carr was looking likely to replace Bruno, with sources telling The Sun at the time: “Alan Carr is a name that has been mooted - his chemistry with Amanda is already a winning formula - and he would bring a fantastic comic edge to the panel.”

Britain’s Got Talent has certainly been pulling in the numbers online to make it one of the biggest shows on Saturday night telly. The dedicated BGT YouTube channel has over 20 million subscribers, with their most viewed clip of Calum Scott singing Dancing on My Own in 2015 garnering over 390 million views. 

Britain’s Got Talent has been a powerhouse for the broadcaster since 2007, with Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden being the remaining two judges to be on the panel since the beginning. 

Since then, they’ve had the likes of Piers Morgan and David Walliams behind the golden buzzers. 

BGT recently crowned its 2024 winner, with singer Sydnie Christmas walking away with £250,000 and the chance to take to the stage during the Royal Variety Performance.