Everyone remembers Alfonso Riberio as Carlton Banks, the awkward rich cousin from ‘The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air’, but now he’s taking on a completely different role as a guest judge on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
The news came after the BBC confirmed usual judge Bruno Tonioli will be taking a week off from the show.
No reason was given for Bruno’s absence, but considering the 62-year-old judges both ‘Strictly’ and the US version ‘Dancing With The Stars’ at the same time, he surely can’t be blamed for wanting a break.
Following the announcement that Alfonso will be stepping in, we take a closer look at why exactly the BBC may have picked him…
Believe it or not, he actually knows more than a thing or two about dancing
Alfonso has been dancing from a young age, and was even nominated for an award at the age of eight when he played a lead role in the Broadway musical ‘The Tap Dance Kid’.
But perhaps what qualifies him most to be ‘Strictly’ judge is that he won the American version of the show, ‘Dancing With The Stars’ in 2014 with his pro partner Witney Carson.
He was a favourite throughout the series, and even recreated his iconic ‘Fresh Prince’ dance to Tom Jones’ ‘It’s Not Unusual’ for one special routine.
The pair pulled in 36 points for their performance, with judge Len Goodman (yes, our very own Len), remarking at the time: “Fantastically done, that was without question the best dance of the night.”
Since his win, Alfonso has appeared as a guest judge on ‘DWTS’ several times, with his expertise and personality proving to be a hit with US audiences.
While some may raise eyebrows at a former winner sitting in place of a professional dancer on the ‘Strictly’ panel, it will actually not be the first time this has happened.
Don’t forget that series five winner Alesha Dixon was a permanent judge on the show for three whole series between 2009 and 2011.
He has plenty of experience of TV experience – not just as Carlton
Alfonso started acting when he was a child, but his first big break came when starred as Carlton Banks for the full run of ‘Fresh Prince Of Bel Air’ from 1990-1996.
However, Alfonso has since carved himself out a career as a TV presenter, proving his skills go beyond acting.
He has entertained audiences as the host of US game shows ‘Catch 21’ and ‘Spell-mageddeon’, and is also the current presenter of ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’.
He is no stranger to British audiences – even those who haven’t seen ‘Fresh Prince’
When Alfonso hasn’t been hosting American TV shows, he’s been spending a lot of time on British TV.
He was a memorable contestant on the 2013 series of ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here’, although he was perhaps remembered best for his various breakdowns.
He was reduced to tears in his first Bush Tucker Trial after being put in a glass coffin full of scorpions, and was upset on another occasion when he had to wash the dishes.
He later finished in seventh place, with ‘Westlife’ singer Kian Egan crowned the eventual winner of the series.
Just earlier that year, Alfonso also became a viral sensation thanks to a surprise guest appearance on ‘The Graham Norton Show’ alongside Will Smith and his son Jaden, which saw them perform an impromptu dance. The clip has since been viewed over 67 million times.
After his guest appearance on ‘Strictly’ we might also be seeing a lot more of him on our screens, as he has been rumoured as the host of new BBC game show ‘The Money Tree’.
‘Strictly Come Dancing’ continues on Saturday at 6.45pm on BBC One.
