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Tom Bergeron parted ways with ABC in 2019 after 14 years as the host of “Dancing With the Stars.” He was replaced by model Tyra Banks, who has been on the job since season 29.
“In all candor, the show that I left was not the show that I loved. So, the end of the season that turned out to be my last season, I kind of knew,” Bergeron said on the “Bob Saget’s Here for You” podcast in September 2021. “I wasn’t surprised that, that was my last season. So there was no blue period. Actually, I think Erin and I had more fun getting fired than anyone,” he added.
About a year prior, Bergeron released a candid statement on Twitter in which he explained that he had brought forth some ideas for the show — the main one point that he made was that he didn’t want to bring politics into the ballroom. The very next season, however, Sean Spicer was cast. After the season wrapped, Bergeron found out he had been fired.
When it was announced that the show would be moving from ABC to Disney+ for seasons 31 and 32, several longtime fans hoped that there was a chance that Bergeron would return as the host, but the decision to keep Banks was ultimately made. Additionally, the show brought in former DWTS champ Alfonso Ribeiro, essentially confirming that there wasn’t a place for Bergeron.
But could that change? In a new interview with Cheryl Burke, Bergeron suggested that he’d possibly give some consideration to returning as host if an offer was in front of him.
Here’s what you need to know:
Bergeron Talked With Burke About a Theoretical Season 32 Return
Anytime that Bergeron has been asked if he’d ever return to the show, he has made it pretty clear that he has no intentions of ever doing so — especially after how things went down for him. This is just one of the reasons that Bergeron has been very straight forward about where he stands with DWTS.
“My ballroom hosting days are done but I can guarantee the show will be better with Conrad Green back as showrunner,” he tweeted in July 2022.
And, in December 2020, he had a similar response during an interview. “When people say, ‘I’m not gonna watch until you’re back,’ I say, ‘Well, there’s really no ‘until’ here.’ This train has left the station,'” he told TV Insider.
However, it seems as though he may have a DWTS return in the back of his mind. On the September 6, 2022, episode of the “Burke in the Game” podcast, Bergeron revealed that he could return.
“What will it take for you to come back?” Burke asked, bluntly.
“Well, there are other people there,” Bergeron said with a laugh. “I appreciate your question, but there are other people in those jobs right now,” he added.
Burke pressed, “maybe for season… how about for season 32? Maybe?”
“Let’s just say we’ll cross that bridge should it be in front of us,” Bergeron responded, seemingly leaving the door open.
Bergeron Said He’s Enjoying the Downtime
Bergeron doesn’t seem like he’s any kind of rush to get back to work on a full-time basis; though he’s not retired, he’s enjoying having some extra down time at this point in his life.
“I kind of like this… you have to remember, I’m very old. And I’ve been doing this for a long time. This is my 50th year in broadcasting. Cuz I started when I was 17,” Bergeron said. “Now, I’m at a point that I can pick and choose occasionally to do some stuff, and I’m kind of loving it. I really am,” he added.
If Bergeron did find a way to return to DWTS, it would likely be due to his long-standing relationship with showrunner Conrad Green.
“I was having lunch with Cheryl Burke and Cheryl was the one that told me that Conrad was talking to [the executives], so we sent him a video from the restaurant and I said, ‘You son of a b****, you’d be the only person that would make me even think about [coming back],'” Bergeron said on the June 16, 2022, episode of the “Game Changers” podcast.
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