Bruno Tonioli reveals why he has to 'shut everything out' when he is not on TV

Bruno Tonioli has to "shut everything out" when he is not on TV.

The 68-year-old TV star was a judge on 'Strictly Come Dancing' from 2004 until 2019 before joining the 'Britain's Got Talent' panel alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon in 2023 and explained that even though he "loves" his job, he "doesn't need the constant attention" that comes with fame so finds ways to conserve his energy when the cameras are off.

Speaking on the 'White Wine Question Time' podcast, he told former 'Loose Women' anchor Kate Thornton: "Before a show, I am literally....I have to shut everything out because I need all my energy. It's almost kind of...'Right' and then bang, you go. I just go through my book, I don't go out, or go crazy because I need the energy for the show and that's the way I really am.

"Apart from what I do on stage is I love reading, I love theatre, cooking, painting.

"It's another way of switching off. When you do these really big shows, constantly, it's good to get back to reality. I love reading, swimming, going to the gym.

"I don't need constant attention and you just relieve yourself of the fact that you're in the spot light or that people say this about you or that about you. It's a way of telling yourself to keep your feet on the ground."

Bruno also makes a habit of going on holiday solo because it always him to start afresh when he goes back on set and that is the best way he can make things "work" for himself.

He said: "When you do that and I go back, I like the feeling that it is my first show. I don't like the feeling of 'Oh yeah, I've done it 40 times...' I could recycle but I need to feel...I love what I do. It works for me that way."