Strictly Come Dancing 2020: Bruno Tonioli to miss live final due to travel restrictions

Judge will continue to take part in the show via a video link

Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli will be forced to miss this year’s final due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The Italian choreographer had typically travelled from the US to the UK and back again while filming Strictly and Dancing with the Stars (the US equivalent), on which he is also a judge.

He has appeared on Strictly via a video link during this year’s series but had hoped to return in person for the final in December.

However, the BBC One show confirmed it has been deemed too risky for the 65-year-old to travel from the US, and will instead continue to include him via a video link.

Tonioli has been a judge on the series since it launched in 2004.

Fellow judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse will now judge the 2020 final without him in the studio.

Bill Bailey is the runaway favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing 2020, according to Ladbrokes.

The comedian is far ahead of his fellow competitors with odds of 4/6 to take this year’s Glitterball Trophy.

Singer and social media star HRVY is in at second place with odds of 4/1 to win Strictly 2020, while Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo is in third place at 8/1, despite dropping from the top to the bottom of the leaderboard in the space of a week.

Former frontrunner Maisie Smith has fallen down the list after surviving her second consecutive dance off. Her odds are now at 10/1.

See the full list of odds for Strictly Come Dancing here.