Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli disappears from screen in fall from chair

Strictly Come Dancing’s Bruno Tonioli shocked viewers and his fellow judges when he fell off his chair.

The judge, 62, was listening to Craig Revel Horwood delivering his verdict on Dr Ranj’s quickstep when he slipped.

Viewers saw his hands flailing in the air over the judges’ desk before he disappeared from sight completely.

While Tonioli is known for his animated movements when giving his own verdicts, at the time he was simply listening to Horwood tell Dr Ranj that his posture was poor.

The other judges gasped and host Tess Daly told viewers: “Bruno just fell off his chair. Are you all right my darling?”

“I’m sorry Craig,” Tonioli said. “It was very slow, yes,” he said of the dance.

Daly quipped: “Do you need a doctor? I think he was trying to cut you off, Craig.”

Later, during a disagreement with Tonioli, Horwood told his fellow judge: “Go and fall off the chair again.”

Tonioli hit back: “At least I still have my own hips.”

“So far”, Horwood, who has undergone a hip replacement, replied.

The BBC One show’s movie week had earlier kicked off with a Harry Potter-themed group dance and a quip about Theresa May.

DJ Vick Hope and her partner were the first couple to dance, to Abba track Take A Chance On Me from the film Mamma Mia!.

Daly joked: “If you’re watching Prime Minister, you’re not the only one who likes to kick things off with an Abba song.”

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister shimmied her way on to the Tory conference stage to the music of Abba’s Dancing Queen.

Back on the Strictly dance floor, newsreader Kate Silverton donned a new look with a low-cut red dress and long red hair, as she played Jessica Rabbit.

She stumbled down the steps but soon recovered and won plaudits from the judges.