Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli has admitted that he loved Alesha Dixon when she danced on the show.

“I loved Alesha when she competed,” he told The People. “She’s so bubbly and she’ll bring energy that hopefully I can use too.

“She just needs to be herself. You can’t try to be somebody else on Strictly. The public may or may not agree with you, but they have their say by picking up the phone.”

Tonioli added that he is looking forward to some bitch fights between Footballers’ Wives stars Zoe Lucker and Laila Rouass.

“I’m looking forward to the battle of the bitches,” he said. “I really hope they will be as feisty and bitchy as they were on Footballers’ Wives.”