Getty Tom Bergeron
Tom Bergeron was replaced by Tyra Banks ahead of season 29 of “Dancing With the Stars.” Now, after three seasons, Banks has been replaced by ballroom dance legend Julianne Hough.
Bergeron commented on Banks’s exit in an Instagram reply to a fan after he posted a photo of a beer on St. Patrick’s Day.
“Celebrating anything in particular besides St. Patrick’s Day?” one fan asked. “Karma struck again! We have all been jumping for joy and hoping, that with the luck o’ the Irish, we will have the #BeswtHostEver back overseeing his realm where he belongs!”
Bergeron replied, “Thanks! It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the show. Disney+ was hemorrhaging $$ under Chapek & the returning Bob Iger has pledged to cut costs. Add to that viewing #s for DWTS were never released (unlike, say, for The Mandalorian) which also doesn’t necessarily bode well. I wish them well, tho.”
Bergeron has originally said that he wouldn’t return to the show for any reason, he opened that door in late 2022 when he was on an episode of the “Burke in the Game” podcast.
“Well, there are other people there,” Bergeron said about returning as a host. “I appreciate your question, but there are other people in those jobs right now.”
Since Banks’s replacement has already been announced, it’s clear Bergeron is not returning to the show for the upcoming season.
Tyra Banks Says it Was ‘Time’ to Leave the Show
A report by TMZ first revealed that Tyra Banks was leaving the show.
“I feel like it’s really time for me to focus on my business and on my entrepreneurship,” Banks said. “And producing more TV, but behind the scenes. I think it’s time to graduate from the dance floor to the stock market floor. Mic drop.”
When asked if she was really leaving the show, Banks shared, “I think it’s time. …I’m an entrepreneur at heart. My heart, my soul is my business. I really, really want to focus on my business, and you can’t do that hosting a show. So you’ll see me creating things, not just hosting.”
Julianne Hough Will be in the Skybox & Alfonso Ribeiro Will Emcee the New Season
Julianne Hough is set to join the competition, according to a March 20, 2023, report by Variety.
“It is such an honor to be rejoining ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as co-host. The show holds such a special place in my heart from the many years and different roles I have had the privilege of being a part of,” Hough told Variety. “The incredible team that brings the ballroom to life every night has been my family for the past 17 years. I am so excited to reunite with Alfonso, Carrie Ann, Bruno, Derek, the unbelievably talented pros, and the amazing cast on the dance floor.”
She added, “The energy is magnetic every time you step foot in to the ballroom and I can’t wait to feel it again — and of course to share it all with the absolute best and most loyal fans — for another exciting season.”
Hough was a professional dancer on the show previously, winning seasons 4 and 5. She left the competition in 2009. Then, Hough returned as a judge from 2014 to 2017. Most recently, she was a guest judge during season 31.
Alfonso Ribeiro will also be returning to the ballroom. He’ll take over Banks’s hosting duties, and Hough will be placed in the skybox to interview dancers and celebrities after they perform.
“Dancing With the Stars” is set to return in the fall of 2023 on Disney+.