Bruno Tonioli's salary for Britain's Got Talent: How does his pay compare to David Walliams'?

Bruno Tonioli is probably one of the most controversial judges of Britain’s Got Talent. The Italian dancer and choreographer has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry and became a judge on Strictly Come Dancing in 2004. The 67-year-old shocked everyone when he quit Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 after 18 years on the show to replace David Walliams on BGT.

Bruno Tonioli’s BGT salary

According to The Sun, Bruno’s net worth is around £8 million. The star is understood to make all of his fortune from TV work. He earned a salary of around £250,000 per episode on Strictly. This was, reportedly, tripled when he joined BGT. The Sun confirmed that he landed an £850,000 deal to be a judge on this year’s Britain’s Got Talent.

His £850,000 deal became a huge deal and the female judges Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden refused to sign their BGT contractsafter Bruno’s remuneration was disclosed. The two were ‘deeply upset’ to realise he was making the same amount as them despite their seniority and experience.

Bruno Tonioli broke his silence on the pay gap reports. In an interview with MailOnline, the BGT judge said:

It is very vulgar to talk about money but I am definitely not getting what has been reported.

He also addressed his relationship with the two women.

I don't know what the girls are getting but good for them, they deserve everything. There is no frostiness with the girls of course not. Who is frosty? We have been having a laugh.

Read more:Alesha Dixon's salary for Britain's Got Talent: Here's how much she earns as a judge

Bruno Tonioli salary is less than David Walliams

David Walliams, who had to quit BGT after his derogatory comments to a contestant in 2020 leaked, made more than Bruno as a BGT judge. My London reported that David Walliams made £1.5 million from BGT, which is £650,000 more than Bruno.

There were also reports that after Alesha and Amanda refused to sign contracts, Bruno’s salary was decreased, but the amount has not yet been disclosed.

Meanwhile, he made £30,000 per episode on Dancing With The Stars.

Read more: Simon Cowell looks unrecognisable in a new BGT promo video

How did Bruno Tonioli become a BGT judge?

When David Walliams was forced to leave the show, Alan Carr was speculated to be his successor for months. However, Simon Cowell - who is the highest paid BGT judge - wanted Bruno Tonioli, confirmed The Sun. A TV insider revealed:

For almost two months Alan may have been the favourite to take over from David, but Bruno was always Simon’s preferred choice.

Not only does he have years of judging experience under his belt from his time on Strictly he will bring an outrageous brand of comedy that BGT needs on the panel.

The insider added that to get Bruno on the show, a lot of negotiations took place. They said:

Sealing the deal was always down to him being presented with an offer enticing enough to make a commitment to the show.

After intense negotiations, they’ve managed to reach an agreement that will now see him return to prime-time Saturday night TV in the UK.

Read more:Ant and Dec make millions from hosting shows like Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celeb

Sources Used

The Sun: Who is Bruno Tonioli and what is his net worth?

The Sun: Bruno Tonioli has tripled his Strictly salary in mega-Britain’s Got Talent judging deal

My London: Bruno Tonioli’s staggering BGT '8-figure pay packet' as he replaces David Walliams

The Sun: Reality TV legend will replace David Walliams as judge on Britain’s Got Talent after beating Alan Carr to job

MailOnline: EXCLUSIVE: 'That's showbusiness!': Bruno Tonioli speaks out on landing job as Britain's Got Talent judge over Alan Carr and reveals David Walliams bought him a bottle of wine