Tom Bergeron may not miss his role as cohost of Dancing With the Stars, but there is one thing from the ABC series he wishes he still had in his life.
“The paycheck,” Bergeron hilariously revealed in a recent interview with E! News. “There are some people I miss, but I’m really happy not hosting.”
He also revealed that despite hosting the dance competition for 15 years, he never had the desire to tune in to the show at home. “To be honest, I never watched it when I was hosting it,” he shared. “I watched it while I was there, obviously, but I never watched it as a TV show.”
Bergeron famously starred on DWTS from season 1 to season 28 before he and his cohost Erin Andrews were let go ahead of season 29 in July 2020. “Just informed @DancingABC will be continuing without me. It’s been an incredible 15-year run and the most unexpected gift of my career,” he announced via X at the time. “I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?”
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The pair’s exit came nearly a year after Bergeron expressed his disapproval of casting former White House press secretary Sean Spicer for season 28. “It is the prerogative of the producers, in partnership with the network, to make whatever decisions they feel are in the best long-term interests of the franchise,” Bergeron wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately it’s their call. I’ll leave it to them to answer any further questions about those decisions.”
At the time, DWTS executive producer Andrew Llinares told Us Weekly, “We’ve got a great and diverse cast. We are excited about the season.” Spicer also replied to the drama in a statement to Us, calling Bergeron a “great host” and said bringing “a diverse group of people together, who can interact in a fun, civil and respectful way, is actually a way we can move the country forward in a positive way.” Spicer and his dance partner, Lindsay Arnold, ultimately came in sixth place.
Bergeron and Andrew’s axing was met with disappointed reactions from fans and the show’s cast and pro dancers. Llinares later explained in September 2020 that the decision was made to help the long-running show “evolve,” adding, “I think changing the hosts was all about evolution, it was about making the show feel fresh, making it feel new [and] kind of make it reach out — maybe to a new audience as well, as well as the audience that’s been there for years.”
The cohosts were replaced by Tyra Banks, who exclusively told Us in September 2020 that it would be a “challenge” to step in their shoes. “[I’m] respecting the stage that they have set and then adding my icing to that,” she stated. “I feel confident about that, but of course, it’s a challenge, but I don’t back away from challenges.”
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Banks, 50, was joined by cohost Alfonso Ribeiro for season 31 in 2022, after which she exited the series. Julianne Hough took over her spot for season 32 in 2023. Upon returning to DWTS as a host, Ribeiro, 52, exclusively told Us that he reached out to discuss the role with Bergeron.
“We have enough respect for each other that I wanted to talk to him as a friend,” he shared in September 2022. “I wanted to let him know how it went down [with] all the love and respect that I have for Tom.”
