Bruno Tonioli on Emotional ‘DWTS’ Tribute to Len Goodman: ‘I Cracked’ (Exclusive)

Bruno Tonioli sat down with “Extra’s” Terri Seymour at L.A. hot spot Pizzana to dish up the latest on “Dancing with the Stars.”

The show recently paid tribute to the late Len Goodman. Bruno admitted, “I cracked… He’s very close. He’s like a brother, a father, and a brother combined and it was very, very hard.”

Reflecting on Len’s battle with cancer, Bruno said, “I knew. He told me, but you’re never prepared. What he would say is like, ‘Okay, stop moaning, Bruno, get it together. Your job is to entertain.’”

Bruno also reacted to Mauricio Umansky’s elimination amid the drama surrounding his marriage to Kyle Richards. He said, “At this stage, it is going to be disappointing, but he actually exited on a high. He did very well.”

When asked if he thought Mauricio’s drama outside the ballroom affected his performance, Bruno commented, “Whatever happens is private stuff. I don’t care.”

Coming up, Paula Abdul is a guest judge for the show’s Music Video Night. He shared, “I can’t wait because I haven’t seen her for a while… Who better than Paula Abdul, because she was the queen.”