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| Craig and Arlene are the dark side |
| Written by Administrator | |
| Saturday, 09 December 2006 | |
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... Len and I are the Jedi. Bruno on warring judges.
He's flamboyant, outrageous and fiery - the perfect OTT mix for Strictly Come Dancing. So it's no wonder the public have taken Italian-born judge Bruno Tonioli to their hearts. But while he and no-nonsense head judge Len Goodman may have charmed viewers of the Saturday night dance-fest, unfortunately the same can't be said for their Queen of Mean colleagues, Arlene Phillips and Craig Revel Horwood. Bruno admits that he and Len often wince at some of Arlene and Craig's acerbic putdowns. Even after four series of the hit show, Bruno is still shocked at how far the pair go. "Arlene and Craig are the Dark Side and Len and I are the Jedi," he says. "We're like a big, bickering family. Sometimes Craig goes too far and I think: 'What is he on?!' "I prefer to give people the chance to laugh at themselves and improve rather than sending them away depressed. "But all the arguing is forgotten about after the show. I've known Arlene for 30 years for goodness sake." As this series of the BBC1 show heads towards its December 23 climax, Bruno, 51, can hardly contain himself. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, he says: "It has been so weird and unpredictable all the way along. "It was a real shock when Ray Fearon and Spoony went. And Emma Bunton has been in the bottom two twice. What's going on? "How Spoony went when people such as Georgina and Claire were still in I'll never know! "It's a big mistake thinking that if your favourite couple have done well with the judges then they're safe. I know it's the viewers' show but I think the best dancers should get the votes - not the contestants you feel most sorry for." Because of the public's fickleness, Bruno can't even begin to pick a winner from the final four. "Realistically, any of them could win. I don't have a favourite," he says. "I mark very honestly each week based on that night's performance. After I saw his cha-cha in week one, I thought Matt Dawson would last a couple of weeks, tops. But he has surprised everyone with how good he's become. He started off as little Simba and now he's the Lion King. "If he gets his Latin up to his ballroom standard he could win. It's great to see these sportsmen so far removed from how we're used to seeing them. "I used to like Brendan Cole when he was in the show. I call him Happy Pants. Why? Because he drops them at the drop of a hat! "I don't know if all the rumours are true... but he is a naughty boy. Anton du Beke likes the ladies, too, mind. He's like a bee to a honeypot if there's a pretty girl about." Bruno may not have favourites but admits to a soft spot for ex-EastEnder Louisa Lytton. "I love her. She's so sweet and genuine," he says. "She has a natural charm. She is also a great dancer and probably the most consistent all the way through." And dancing, for Bruno, is all. He fell in love with it while growing up in the town of Ferrara, in north-east Italy. His bus driver father, Werther, was a big fan of Fred Astaire and, as a young boy, Bruno would sit transfixed by classic American musicals. "I'd go to the cinema... Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers - I loved them. And I was mesmerised by Liza Minnelli in Cabaret." After leaving home at 18, Bruno spent two years with the Paris-based dance company La Grande Eugene, before settling in Britain 30 years ago. He now lives in a plush West London flat, crammed with books about Hollywood's glamorous heyday. Single after splitting with longterm partner Paul, he looks far younger than his 51 years and claims it's down to good genes. "I do look after myself though. I go to step and aerobic classes and run on the treadmill. But I haven't danced properly for ages - I don't think my knees could take it." As a dancer, Bruno's film contributions include Absolute Beginners and Little Voice. He also danced the jive with Saffron Burrows in Enigma and counts Helena Bonham Carter as a friend after working on the movie Sixty-Six. AS a choreographer, he has worked with top names such as the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury. This vast experience has also made him an international star - his judging slot on the hit US series Dancing With The Stars has won rave reviews. Thirty million viewers tuned in to the recent final - won by football star Emmitt Smith - but they had no inkling of the toll the dual workload was taking on Bruno and fellow judge Len, who commuted to LA for two months. "It was crazy," says Bruno. "I felt like the James Bond of the dance world. But we had a lot of fun. Jerry Springer was a great contestant. His samba! Oh my God, I nearly p***** myself. Great entertainment value." But despite being a hit in both the UK and US, don't dare call Bruno a celebrity. "I hate that word!" he hisses. "To me, a celebrity is someone who is famous for the sake of it. I'm not going to turn up to a premiere wearing nothing but a jockstrap then be photographed vomiting into a gutter. "I want to be appreciated for my talent, not for a career which consists of getting drunk and pulling my pants down. "But I'm very happy with my life right now. The public's reaction has always been very positive... Well, no one's thrown any eggs at me just yet!" STRICTLY Come Dancing is on BBC1 tonight at 5.40pm and 7.40pm Source |
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