The BBC has confirmed that Bruno Tonioli will appear on Strictly Come Dancing via video link for much of the next series.

The 64-year-old, who has been part of the show since the start, is currently in Los Angeles ahead of the new season of Dancing With The Stars beginning next month.

Coronavirus travel restrictions mean that Tonioli will be unable to do his usual commute back and forth over the Atlantic in order to appear on both shows, so he will instead appear virtually - albeit for the results shows only.

Once DWTS has wrapped, Tonioli will return to the UK and depending on the rules in place at the time, he may be required to quarantine for a fortnight, meaning that he would only appear in person on the semi-final and final in December.

"I absolutely adore being part of Strictly and can't wait to see what incredible dancing this year has in store!" said Tonioli.

"Lockdown has resulted in me being in LA for the foreseeable, but I'm excited to be involved as much as I possibly can. There was no cha-cha-chance I'd miss out!"

Strictly's executive producer Sarah James said: "I'm overjoyed that we've found a way for Bruno to be part of this year's Strictly.

"His passion and enthusiasm are such a big part of the show, I'm thrilled we can continue to deliver that to audiences this year."

The new series has been shortened from 13 weeks to nine due to coronavirus and as a result will begin later than usual on Saturday, October 24.

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