“When I got the call to come to Hollywood, I thought it was a joke. This doesn’t happen!” says Bruno Tonioli, a judge since Dancing With the Stars‘ 2005 premiere. (From 2004 to 2020, he pulled double duty, also serving as a judge on Britain’s Strictly Come Dancing.) “It has been 20 years of amazing experiences. A dream.”
A landmark two-decade run isn’t the norm in TV, but the 69-year-old choreographer from Italy has a theory on why the fans keep coming back. “Dancing With the Stars is a beating heart,” Tonioli says with his trademark passion and zesty energy. “Every time, it feels like it’s the first time I do it. You feel it when you come to the studio. The [dancers] keep me interested. I know what a waltz is, but how are you going to play it? Every season they reinterpret these dances. That’s the magic.”
Of all the enchanting professionals who have foxtrotted and spun their way around the dance floor, Tonioli can’t choose which one he’d love to see come back. “I love them all. Don’t touch my kids!” he says with a laugh. “They are the best in the business and work so hard.”
Eric McCandless / ABC via Getty Images
With all of Tonioli’s catchphrases (“Fab-u-lous!” “The emotion!”), do fans call them out to the judge when they see him in public? “They do,” he admits. “Fans have been so nice to me because when I’m offscreen, I just live my life like everyone else. I love to go to the supermarket, the garden center. People are so kind.” At least they’re not calling him a “lame canary,” after one famed zinger Tonioli delivered on Strictly.
Tonioli has never been known to pull a deserved critique from even the most famous faces. No one receives special treatment, he explains. “I say, ‘I don’t care who you are. You’re going to get the same comments from me.’” And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
For a more extended celebration of two decade of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands August 29.
More Headlines:
- Grade A Romance
- ‘Dancing With the Stars’: Bruno Tonioli Gets Candid About Show’s ‘Magic’ & Meeting Fans
- Ask Matt: Canceling the Young ‘Dexter,’ Cringeworthy Love Triangles & More
- ‘Young Sheldon’ Star Emily Osment Divorce Finalized After 5-Month Marriage
- ‘Shifting Gears’ Boss Teases Matt & Emma’s Romance & What’s Next in Season 2
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.