I love Amanda Holden’s sexy style but I’ll be giving her a run for her money, says Britain’s Got Talent’s Bruno Tonioli
WHEN Amanda Holden puts on her daring dresses for Britain’s Got Talent, viewers’ jaws drop and complaints to Ofcom soar.
But this year she has got some surprising competition from Bruno Tonioli.
As the semi-finals kick off tonight on ITV1, the ostentatious Italian has pledged to show off even more cleavage than his fellow judge.
Bruno, 67, has never been afraid to wear a shirt so open that it would rival the chest-flashing of 63-year-old show boss Simon Cowell — but now he is upping the ante for Britain’s Got Talent.
The flamboyant former Strictly judge said: “Unbuttoned to the navel — I’ll have deeper plunging necklines than Amanda.
“I don’t know if I will wear bright panties, but I will wear something that suits me.
“And I know what I like: A nice suit and a bit of sparkle.”
Amanda, 52, has usually been the centre of attention during the semi-finals as a result of her rather revealing outfits.
The actress and presenter triggered a record-breaking 663 complaints from viewers in 2017 when she stepped out in an £11,000 Julien MacDonald gown which exposed her chest and stomach.
Two years later, a spider-web embroidered dress featuring see-through panels, which Amanda wore for the semi-final, also caused a storm.
And in 2020, she exposed her nipples on TV in a daring low-cut blue gown, prompting 235 complaints.
But Bruno loves the stunning outfits worn by Amanda and their fellow panellist Alesha Dixon, 44 — so he won’t be offended by whatever they choose to put on tonight.
He said: “I would actually say, ‘Please, more’.
“I don’t see anything offensive. I don’t understand how backwards we’ve become.
“It’s just a beautiful woman wearing a beautiful dress. What’s wrong with that? We are going back 50 years. It’s nonsense.
“Amanda and Alesha are goddesses. They are so beautiful and so well-dressed. You can’t compete with those beauties.
“Those girls will dazzle you. They keep their outfits secret until the last moment.
“And then they come out and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, I look like a scrubber next to you’.”
Bruno has already attracted controversy over the past five months.
Alan Carr, 46, was thought to be a front-runner to replace 51-year-old David Walliams on the panel, so there was widespread disbelief when Bruno was given the job — particularly from Amanda, who is best mates with the Chatty Man comedian.
Then Bruno admitted he did not know how the show worked as he had never watched it, which caused chaos during the audition stage.
After pressing his golden buzzer to send Ugandan dance act Ghetto Kids through to the semis, he used it a second time for singer Gamal John — which annoyed his fellow panellists as the move is against the rules. But Bruno claimed Simon had not prepared him properly.
He said: “I didn’t have any rehearsals. I didn’t do a pilot.
“I said, ‘Oh Simon, what are the rules?’ ‘Oh, there’s no rules, darling’. Obviously, there were — several.
“It’s not intentional chaos. I honestly didn’t know that you have to wait for this or do that, and if I feel I have to say something, I will. I always have.
“You have to be yourself — you have to be honest.”
And the panellist also claims he still hasn’t been given any guidelines — despite Simon joking that Bruno could “get fired” during an on-screen clash with him.
Bruno said: “I saw Simon briefly two days ago. He said ‘Oh, no, you know, just turn up’. I will ask again because live is live.
“I know already that the acts have had a lot of time to rehearse, so I’m actually expecting them to be even more dazzling this time.
“Are they going to live up to it, from my point of view? Are they going to exceed expectations? Apart from that, I haven’t got a clue.
“Anything can happen, but I know now I’m not going to press the buzzer twice.”
Grumbles from fans over his accidental changes to the show’s format haven’t shaken Bruno, and he seems determined to use his past mistakes for good in the live semi-finals.
He said: “Everybody can improve. You never stop learning — you can take a setback and transform it into a positive.”
Brushing off his difficult transition, Bruno explains how the job makes him feel “inspired” thanks to the quality of the acts on stage.
‘I left shows on a high’
He says: “I’ve really had goosebumps, seeing these people that have so much talent and have the opportunity to show it to us.
“I was blown away. There are some that need a bit of refinement, but how talented and how hard-working and inspired they are.
“I found it inspiring for myself. I left every show on a high, very encouraged about the amount of talent there is out there.
“When you see great talent, it inspires you to be better. It makes you feel something.”
But he has no plans to take up learning any of the daredvil antics that some contestants on the show are known for, joking he is “talented enough” for now.
He said: “I’m not going to do any of those stunts — that’s not my cup of tea.
“I think I’m all right as I am. I have enough on my plate.”
Bruno insists he doesn’t feel bad about getting the vacant judging job ahead of Alan, who is probably “too busy” to care.
He said: “I haven’t seen him, but I had absolutely no idea that he was up for BGT.
“I came back on the 7th of January and I only heard about this on the 13th. And obviously to work with Simon and the girls — of course, if you want me to do it, I’ll do it.
“I am grateful and delighted to have been offered the job.
“But you know, this is show- business, and Alan is a professional. He knows. He’s very, very busy. I’m sure he’s fine.
“He’s not starving — he’s got too much wonderful stuff going on. That’s all I can say.
“I’m very grateful and I’m sure he’s all right.”
And luckily, Bruno has fitted right in among his fellow judges.
He said: “I was very nervous. You can be friends with somebody in everyday life, but once you’re on TV, you’re on.
“You could be the best of friends but the chemistry is not guaranteed.
“But we just clicked, and from the first moment the camera started rolling, I felt like I was at home and I was very comfortable.
“They couldn’t have been nicer to me.
“I had such a good time.”
Now he has conquered the Britain’s Got Talent judging panel, the sky is the limit for Bruno.
And he already has big plans for working with the other judges.
Bruno said: “I think the four of us should actually enter Eurovision and do a new take on Bucks Fizz. That would be a giggle.
“Making Your Mind Up . . . that’s so appropriate for Simon.”