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Alfonso Ribeiro is not a reality TV fan, despite the fact that he hosts a reality TV competition. The “Dancing with the Stars” co-host recently opened up about his lack of love for the reality TV genre, and he shaded the shows that star two “DWTS” season 31 contestants in the process.
In July 2022, Ribeiro was announced as a “DWTS” co-host alongside Tyra Banks, two years after veteran host Tom Bergeron was let go from the ABC franchise. While the celebrity ballroom competition has now moved to Disney+, Ribeiro may have already found himself in hot water with Disney ABC executives.
Here’s what you need to know:
Alfonso Ribeiro Ripped the TV Shows That Two ‘DWTS’ Contestants Star In
ABCErich Schwer gives Gabby Windey an engagement ring on “The Bachelorette.”
In a September 2022 interview with the New York Post, Ribeiro made some surprisingly candid comments about “The Bachelor” franchise as well as MTV’s “Jersey Shore.” In the interview, Ribeiro made it clear that he does not watch “The Bachelor’ because he thinks it’s fake.
“I am not watching people pretend to fall in love and they never do,” he said.
He also incorrectly stated that the only “Bachelor” couple to ever “stay married” is the “first one” and that there has been “no success since.” That would be “DWTS” alum Trista Sutter, who is still married to her final pick, Ryan. But other Bachelor Nation couples, including Sean and Catherine Lowe, Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried, and Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo. all found lasting love and marriage on the show.
Ribeiro’s comment was also a major diss to “DWTS” season 31 contestant Gabby Windey, who just ended her season of the ABC dating show with an engagement to Erich Schwer.
In addition to his comments about “The Bachelor” franchise, Ribeiro also threw shade at “Jersey Shore,” the long-running reality show that stars current “DWTS” contestant Vinny Guadagnino. When asked about the MTV reality show, he noted that the guys on “Jersey Shore” aren’t anything special.
“Why watch it when you can go to it?” he told the Post. “I’m from New York … how many of those guys did I know, I know 35 of them.”
Tom Bergeron Previously Got into Trouble for Comments He Made About ‘DWTS’
GettyLindsay Arnold and Sean Spicer on DWTS.
Ribeiro isn’t the first “DWTS” host to negatively comment about something that has to do with a contestant. During his long run as host, Bergeron publicly expressed his dismay over “divisive” political figures” that were cast on the show, such as Sean Spicer. The former White House press secretary was a contestant on “DWTS” in season 28, which was ultimately Bergeron’s final season as host.
During a 2021 interview on Bob Saget’s “Here For You” podcast, Bergeron admitted that his decision to go public with his views on the casting selection caused friction between him and producers and ultimately led to his firing from the show.
“Whether it was somebody I voted for or didn’t, I didn’t think a political person was an appropriate booking for the show, but also for the time we were going to be on, which was really on the cusp of the presidential election campaign, so we differed on that,” he said. “I was public about that. I don’t think that sat well with the producer or the network.”
In September 2022, Bergeron told Cheryl Burke’s “Burke in the Game” podcast, “I went public with my concerns about that [casting divisive political figures. It just felt that our show at its best is an escape from all of that.”
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