Getty Tom Bergeron
Tom Bergeron was a fixture on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” for years before he was fired from the show in 2020. Bergeron and his co-host, Erin Andrews, were both let go ahead of season 29 when Tyra Banks took over as the host of the show.
Bergeron first let fans know what happened on July 13, 2020, in a tweet.
“Just informed @DancingABC will be continuing without me,” he wrote at the time. “It’s been an incredible 15 year run and the most unexpected gift of my career. I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. That said, now what am I supposed to do with all these glitter masks?”
Bergeron Was Not Surprised He Was Fired
In an interview with talk show host Vicki Abelson, Bergeron said that he was not surprised that he got fired from “Dancing With the Stars.”
“The show had changed a lot for me starting in early 2008,” he said at the time. “The show I left was not the show that I loved. We had very clear, sometimes public, differences of opinion about the new showrunner and some of the execs and happily, I was at a point in my life and career where I didn’t have to just shut up and take it. I decided to go public with some concerns I had at that time and I think that set the stage for it. I kind of saw it coming.”
Bergeron also has said that he will not be looking for full-time work.
During an interview on the “Stuttering John Podcast,” Bergeron said he was not looking for full-time work.
“I never say never,” he shared. “But, I’ve hosted, as you’ve pointed out, so many different formats. I’m not really looking to work a lot, five days a week.”
He added that since he’s now 65 years old, he’s enjoying his life with the money he has in the bank.
Bergeron Will Likely Not Return to ‘Dancing With the Stars’
In an interview with TV Guide in 2020, Bergeron strongly implied that he will not be returning to the ballroom in the future.
He was asked how he responds to fans who want him to return to the show, and he didn’t hold back.
“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. I appreciate the statement, and I don’t hold it against anybody if they [watch the show].”
From that statement alone, it’s clear that Bergeron will not be making a return to host “Dancing With the Stars” in the future.
He Has Said His ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Firing Was ‘Great’
In an interview with Fox News to announce his new hosting project, “Hollywood Museum Squares,” Bergeron said that being let go from “Dancing With the Stars” was actually a good thing.
“It was great. I said to somebody, ‘It was like being eulogized without the pesky business of dying,’ said Bergeron with a laugh. “It’s always better if you can actually still be around to enjoy it.”
During his interview on the “Stuttering John Podcast,” Bergeron said that he doesn’t miss working on “Dancing With the Stars.”
“No,” he said almost immediately when asked if he missed the show. “No, because it started changing early in 2018, there were staff changes and I think philosophical changes about how to do the show. So, I miss the earlier years. I miss up until that point when it had a different vibe, a different feel.”
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