Bruno Tonioli | Celebrity Net Worth 2026

Biography & Early Wealth Journey

Bruno Tonioli is best known as one of the original judges on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," a position he has held since the American series premiered in 2005. His flamboyant critiques, animated reactions, and decades of professional dance experience have made him one of the longest-serving and most recognizable judges in reality television.

Before becoming a television personality, Tonioli spent decades working professionally as a dancer and choreographer. His credits included stage shows, tours, television productions, films, and music videos for artists including Elton John, Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury, Sting, Boy George, Duran Duran, and the Rolling Stones. He also famously appeared as a dancer in Elton John's 1983 music video for "I'm Still Standing."

Tonioli helped launch both "Strictly Come Dancing" in the United Kingdom and "Dancing with the Stars" in the United States, serving on the two programs simultaneously for many years. After leaving "Strictly," he joined "Britain's Got Talent" in 2023 and remained a judge for three seasons before stepping down when its schedule began conflicting with "Dancing with the Stars." He is also the author of the 2012 memoir "Bruno: My Story."

Early Life

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

Bruno Tonioli was born on November 25, 1955, in Ferrara, Italy. He was the only child of Werther Tonioli, a bus driver, and Fulvia Tonioli, who stitched upholstery for car seats. His family had modest financial means, and Bruno spent part of his childhood living with his paternal grandparents before his parents were able to move the family into its own apartment.

Tonioli became fascinated with performance while he was young. After seeing the movie musical "Cabaret" repeatedly as a teenager, he became determined to pursue a career in entertainment despite his parents' preference that he choose a more conventional profession.

At 18, Bruno left Italy and began developing his career as a dancer in Europe. He spent time in Paris before settling in London and worked with dance and theatrical companies including the Lindsay Kemp Company. London ultimately became one of his longtime homes and the base from which he built much of his choreography career.

Dance and Choreography Career

Real Estate, Luxury Assets & Personal Investments

Before television made him famous, Tonioli established himself as a professional dancer and choreographer. He performed with dance companies and worked on stage shows, television programs, films, concert tours, and music videos.

His choreography credits included projects involving Elton John, Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury, Sting, Boy George, Duran Duran, Dead or Alive, and the Rolling Stones. He choreographed the video for Arcadia's 1985 single "Election Day" and worked extensively across the British music and entertainment industries during the height of the music-video era.

Bruno also worked as a choreographer on films including "Dancin' Thru the Dark," "Little Voice," "Hotel Splendide," and "Me Without You." His television choreography credits included "Absolutely Fabulous," "Bad Girls," "The Scarlet Pimpernel," "French and Saunders," and other British productions.

Despite later becoming much better known for evaluating other people's dancing, Tonioli's decades of professional performance and choreography experience predated his television judging career by many years.

Music Videos and Acting

Tonioli also appeared on camera during his dancing years. Most famously, he was one of the dancers in Elton John's 1983 music video for "I'm Still Standing," which was filmed on the French Riviera. The colorful video became one of John's most recognizable clips of the MTV era.

Bruno also appeared in Bonnie Tyler's "Take Me Back" video and accumulated small acting and performance roles in film and television. His credits have included "Absolute Beginners," "What a Girl Wants," "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie," "The Bill," "Fuller House," and "Horrible Histories."

In the 1980s, Tonioli was also a member of the musical group Duke and the Aces, which competed for the opportunity to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Strictly Come Dancing

Tonioli became a national television personality in Britain in 2004 when he joined the original judging panel of BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing." The series paired celebrities with professional dancers and became one of Britain's most successful entertainment programs.

Bruno judged alongside Craig Revel Horwood and other panelists as the show's lineup evolved. His theatrical delivery, tendency to leap out of his chair, and colorful descriptions of performances became defining characteristics of the judging panel.

For many years, Tonioli maintained an unusual transatlantic schedule in which he judged "Strictly Come Dancing" in London and then traveled to Los Angeles to appear on "Dancing with the Stars." The demanding arrangement became much more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions prevented him from appearing normally on "Strictly," and longtime professional Anton Du Beke eventually took his place on the judging panel.

Tonioli's departure from "Strictly Come Dancing" was formally confirmed in 2022, ending an association that had begun with the show's first season in 2004. His travel commitments between Britain and the United States were a major factor in making a full-time return impractical.

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Dancing with the Stars

In 2005, one year after "Strictly Come Dancing" debuted, Tonioli joined the original judging panel of the American adaptation, "Dancing with the Stars." He and Carrie Ann Inaba have remained with the series since its first season.

For much of the program's history, Bruno and Carrie Ann judged alongside Len Goodman. After Goodman retired, record-setting former professional dancer Derek Hough became part of the permanent judging panel.

Tonioli has judged hundreds of celebrity performances over the course of more than two decades. The show's lengthy run has made him familiar to generations of American viewers who may have never seen his earlier choreography or his work on British television.

One of his more memorable judging controversies occurred in 2010, when he described a jive by singer Michael Bolton and Chelsie Hightower as the worst jive he had seen during the show's first 11 seasons. Bolton publicly objected to the criticism and called for an apology, while the producers defended Tonioli's right to give his opinion as a judge.

Tonioli has remained on "Dancing with the Stars" even as the program has changed hosts, networks, streaming platforms, professional dancers, and fellow judges. He continued as a judge for Season 35 in 2026 alongside Inaba and Hough.

Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann

The popularity of Tonioli and Inaba led ABC to build another dance competition around the pair. In 2008, they starred in "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann," an American adaptation of the BBC series "DanceX."

The format divided aspiring performers into teams mentored by Bruno and Carrie Ann, who competed against each other while developing groups of singers and dancers. Although the American series lasted only one season, it demonstrated the degree to which both judges had become personalities in their own right rather than simply supporting figures on "Dancing with the Stars."

Tonioli had co-created and appeared on the original "DanceX" in Britain the previous year.

Britain's Got Talent

In 2023, Tonioli returned to regular British primetime television when he joined Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon on the judging panel of "Britain's Got Talent." Bruno replaced David Walliams beginning with the show's 16th series.

Tonioli's exuberant style transferred naturally to the variety competition, where the acts range from singers and dancers to magicians, comedians, acrobats, and novelty performers. He remained on the panel for three series, through the 2025 season.

In September 2026, ITV announced that Tonioli was stepping down from "Britain's Got Talent." The decision was driven by a production conflict: filming for the British show's next series overlapped with his commitments to the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" in the United States.

KSI, who had previously filled in for Tonioli as a guest judge, was promoted to the permanent panel for the 2026 series. Bruno said he was leaving after "three incredible series" and specifically cited his return to the United States to film "Dancing with the Stars."

Books, Radio, and Other Work

In 2012, Tonioli published the memoir "Bruno: My Story," recounting his upbringing in Italy, his experiences as a young gay man, his dancing career, and his eventual rise to television fame.

He has also presented programs outside the talent-show format. In 2018, he hosted "Bruno Tonioli at the Opera" for BBC Radio 2, exploring his enthusiasm for opera and classical music.

Tonioli has made guest appearances on numerous American and British television programs over the years, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Chelsea Lately," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," "The Tonight Show," "The View," and "Live with Kelly and Ryan."

Personal Life

Tonioli is openly gay and has spoken about the homophobia he encountered while growing up in Italy during the 1960s and 1970s. He has recalled being bullied and threatened because of his sexuality before leaving Italy as a young adult.

Bruno has spent much of his adult life between London and Los Angeles. His years working simultaneously on "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Dancing with the Stars" required frequent transatlantic travel during the television season.

Tonioli speaks several languages, including Italian, English, French, and Spanish.

Real Estate

In 2017, Bruno paid $2.825 million for a contemporary home in West Hollywood, California. The approximately 2,600-square-foot property has three bedrooms, multiple balconies, a swimming pool and spa, and an outdoor fire pit.

The home had been listed for approximately $2.9 million before Tonioli purchased it. Its Los Angeles location has provided Bruno with a convenient home base during his long tenure filming "Dancing with the Stars."

Tonioli

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