Amanda Holden reveals when she’ll leave Britain’s Got Talent and says new judge Bruno Tonioli had NEVER seen the show
BRITAIN’S Got Talent star Amanda Holden has revealed when she’ll leave the panel after being part of the show for 17 years.
Her announcement comes just weeks after she and fellow judge Alesha Dixon were locked in a furious pay row over newcomer Bruno Tonioli.
Long-standing judges Amanda and Alesha were furious that the former Strictly star’s salary matches their own — said to be £850,000.
A source close to the pair told The Sun: “Amanda has been on BGT for 17 years, while Alesha is going into her eleventh year.
“They don’t think it’s fair a newcomer could walk into the show and be handed the same deal as them.”
Now Amanda, 52, has opened up on when her stint at ITV’s prime-time series might be coming to an end.
Speaking to MailOnline, Amanda said: “I’ll probably be carried out on a stretcher. I mean I’m definitely doing one more year after this.
“If I do 18 years, which is what it would be, I will feel so privileged and lucky because it was never a job I expected to do this long.”
The Heart radio presenter also dropped a bombshell about Bruno’s familiarity with the long-standing show.
She explained: “He’d never seen the show, so it was all new to him.
“It was nice seeing it through fresh eyes. I think he’s really enjoyed it and we’ve tried to make him feel welcome and he did a good job.
“…It was like dropping a Berocca in some water and just watching it fizz.”
The Sun revealed in January that Bruno reportedly broke the rules on his second day on the job by pressing the Golden Buzzer after it had already been used.
A source said: “It was madness. The buzzer worked but there was no glitter in the cannon above the stage as it had already been used up.
“A producer raced over to try to tell Bruno he couldn’t do that.”
Head judge Simon has backed Bruno, who was a judge on BBC’s Strictly from its inception in 2004 until last year, to take a seat on the panel, while ITV were keen on Alan Carr.
The Sun revealed in November how David Walliams, 51, had stepped away from BGT.
The announcement came just after Walliams was forced to apologise for foul-mouthed comments about contestants.
A source told The Sun at the time: “He hasn’t taken the decision lightly, but it just feels like time to move on.”
Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, both 47, are returning as hosts.