Bruno Tonioli will reportedly not be returning to Strictly Come Dancing for the final few live shows of the current series.

The 65-year-old has been unable to appear live on the show so far this year as he has been in the US filming Dancing With The Stars, although he has featured in a segment on the Sunday night results show giving his review of the week's performances.

DWTS ended in the US earlier this week and it was expected that Tonioli would return to the UK and complete a two-week quarantine before appearing on the semi-final and final episodes of the series next month.

According to the Daily Mail, however, Tonioli has now taken the decision to remain Stateside as it has been deemed too risky for him to take a trans-Atlantic flight with coronavirus cases still at alarming levels.

"After much consideration, it's just too dangerous for Bruno. Strictly has already been hit so heavily by COVID," a source told the newspaper.

"They didn't want to take the risk. Bruno loves the show and will watch as ever from the States and give his feedback on Sunday's show."

The news could pave the way for Anton Du Beke to return to the judging panel for the show's conclusion following a popular stint filling in for Motsi Mabuse over the last fortnight.