ABC Tom Bergeron.
It has been nearly two years since Tom Bergeron was fired from his role as host of ”Dancing with the Stars.” The veteran TV host helmed the ABC celebrity ballroom competition for 28 seasons, from 2005 to 2020, before he and his longtime co-host Erin Andrews were replaced by Tyra Banks.
Bergeron was beloved by many fans, but there was no love lost when he exited DWTS. During an interview on the “Here For You” podcast, Bergeron revealed that he wasn’t shocked by his firing because he had previously butted heads with ABC producers and executives over the casting for the show.
“The show that I left was not the show that I loved,” Bergeron admitted, adding that he still looked back on his many years on the show with “great fondness.”
“At the end of the season that turned out to be my last season, I kind of knew,” Bergeron added. “So I took everything out of my dressing room that I really wanted. I wasn’t surprised that was my last season, so there was no blue period. Actually, I think Erin and I had more fun being fired than virtually anybody.”
But for fans who have been crying the blues ever since Bergeron left his hosting career, there is some good news.
Tom Bergeron Recently Announced a New Hosting Gig That Has Nothing to Do with Dancing
Bergeron has said he will never return to “Dancing With the Stars.” In December 2020 he told TV Insider, “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.”
But in 2022, Bergeron announced that he will be trading in dancing for dogs for a new hosting gig. In a post shared on his Instagram page on May 27, 2022, Bergeron revealed that he will be hosting the first annual Pet Gala for Wagmor Pets.
In a clip shared to his social media page, the Emmy winner was seen playing with several terrier dogs in need of adoption as he announced his role for the June 27, 2022 fundraiser.
“I’m coming out of my hosting hiatus for this,” Bergeron said. “I’m gonna dust off the old hosting skill set.”
According to the Wagmor rescue website, the Pet Gala will be held at the Yamashiro Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles and will feature Jenna Dewan as the red carpet guest of honor.
This isn’t technically Bergeron’s first hosting stint since DWTS. In December 2020, he was the host of “A Star-Studded Virtual Gala & Table Reading of It’s A Wonderful Life.”
“I’ll be your virtual host,” Bergeron captioned an Instagram promo at the time, as he announced the remake of the 1947 Hollywood classic. ”Trying to get [Ed Asner] to add a rousing singalong to ‘Won’t You Come Home George Bailey?’”
Tom Bergeron Had a Long Hosting Career
GettyTom Bergeron
Tom Bergeron has a prolific hosting resume. According to IMDb, in addition to his 15 years as host of “Dancing With the Stars,” he served as host of the TV game show “Hollywood Squares” from 1998 to 2004, and “America’s Funniest Home Videos” from 2011 to 2015.
But he told TV Insider that his unexpected career path “looks like a hostage note cut and pasted from a bunch of different magazines,” and noted that he has pretty much hit everything on his bucket list.
“I regarded myself as a broadcaster and was very fortunate that wonderful opportunities presented themselves,” Bergeron said. “I’ve been on two network shows for the better part of 15 years each, so life’s been good. I’ve hosted every format imaginable. There’s no real fire in my gut to do it again. Having said that, I’m always open to surprises.”
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