Courtney Act reveals she’d love to be Strictly’s new judge - is she Bruno's replacement?

"I don't know whether having been on Dancing with the Stars precludes me from doing Strictly or not, but actually someone said to me that they're looking for a new judge on Strictly and I was like, 'Hey – sign me up!'."

"I love Strictly, I've been along to watch the live taping a couple of times," she added.

Courtney, whose real name is Shane Jenek, placed second on the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars with her professional dancer Joshua Keefe last year.

The duo were the first same-sex pairing in the history of the Australian version and the second on any version of the show, with Courtney dancing with Joshua both in and out of drag.

Courtney also said that she would love to take part on Strictly with her Dancing with the Stars partner Joshua, who was a Creative Director and Choreographer on Strictly's last series.

"It would be particularly amazing if I got to do it with Josh my dance partner because we just connected and had so much fun together," she said.

At the end of June, The Sun reported that long-time judge Bruno Tonioli may be bowing out of his judging duties on Strictly this year, as the coronavirus pandemic means he cannot fly between the UK and Los Angeles, where he also appears on Dancing with the Stars US.

An insider allegedly told The Sun: “There is no way to travel back and forth at the moment, so he’s told bosses in the UK that unfortunately he will be staying over there.”

Arlene Phillips, Anton du Beke, Kevin Clifton and Stacey Dooley are among those tipped to take Bruno's place, but now Courtney has thrown her top hat into the ring, who knows what will happen?

Courtney will be visiting the UK with her nationwide tour of Fluid in Spring 2021. Tickets are now available online.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One this autumn. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.