DWTS Bruno Tonioli On Judging, The Price Of Fame, Being Bullied, And More!

The Daily Mail has a great new article and interview up with Dancing With The Stars and Strictly Come Dancing Judge Bruno Tonioli. It’s centered mostly around his Strictly Come Dancing role, but, there is also a mention of how he will be returning for Season 14 of Dancing With The Stars. Bruno also dishes about being bullied when he was little because of being homosexual. Below is more of him talking about it and how fame and his busy schedule between the two dance shows have prevented him from finding a new partner. He also talks of being “very private” (which surprises me a little for how flamboyant he is on Dancing With The Stars).

One thing Bruno’s uncompromising schedule has not allowed time for is a boyfriend. The openly gay dancer has been single since splitting from a long-term partner during the early days of Strictly. Given his success, he must get a lot of offers?

‘No I don’t. Absolutely nothing. Do you have any suggestions for me?’ How about the internet? Bruno explodes. ‘I’m not going to sit on the b****y internet! Are you kidding me? I’m very private. I’m not even on Facebook.’

He believes his fame has made it more difficult to find a partner, because potential suitors expect him to have his bubbly judging persona on all hours of the day. ‘Simon Cowell said to me, “It’s because you’re stroppy.” Maybe he’s right, not that he can talk! But I am very direct, that’s the problem. People see me on TV and think I’m something, but in reality I can be quite blunt.’

Bruno has known he was gay since he was ten, and was often beaten up over it while growing up in Ferrara in north-east Italy. It was something he never discussed with his bus-driver father Werther or seamstress mother Fulvia. Today, he says the fact he could openly flirt with Harry Judd about his ‘amazing six-pack’ on Strictly shows how far attitudes have come. ‘Things have advanced enormously, especially thanks to TV. But it’s the grassroots that have to change. There are still a lot of kids who kill themselves because of bullying.’

An interesting read! Be sure to read the full article at The Daily Mail as he talks of being compared to Simon Cowell as a judge (I think he’s meaner than Simon, but, I still like him. What do you think?) as well and lots more.