Simon Cowell wants Bruno Tonioli for his new show 'The Greatest Dancer'.
Simon Cowell
The 'X Factor' boss is said to be keen to sign the 'Strictly Come Dancing' judge up to his upcoming programme alongside Cheryl Tweedy, Strictly's Oti Mabuse and Alesha Dixon, and he has fuelled speculation that the 62-year-old dancer may jump ship from one BBC show to another.
Speaking at his Syco summer party earlier this week, Simon said: "I do actually have some breaking news. Bruno is leaving Strictly. He won't be a judge, but he will be a contestant."
Bruno later took to the stage to insist he was not departing the BBC One ballroom show.
But Simon replied: "But you've got to leave at some point."
The 58-year-old music mogul thinks Bruno would be "perfect" for the programme, which will allow members of the public to participate and promises to feature dances across hip-hop, jazz, Bollywood and contemporary genres.
A source told The Sun's Bizarre TV column: "Simon has always thought the world of Bruno and thinks he'd be perfect on 'The Greatest Dancer'.
"Simon has never been afraid to take on the BBC and 'Strictly', but it is a different story now his show is on the same channel. That said, he still wants the best people for his series and he thinks Bruno is one of them."
Kate Phillips, controller of entertainment commissioning for the BBC, recently said: "With the continued success of 'Strictly Come Dancing', the BBC is undoubtedly the home of dance.
"By launching 'The Greatest Dancer' we want to give the vast array of dance talent across the UK the chance to shine.
"I can't wait to work with Syco and Thames to uncover the talent out there and let our audience critique and celebrate the nation's unsung dance heroes."
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