Why was Tom Bergeron fired from 'Dancing with the Stars'? TV show host blasts showrunners on Cheryl Burke’s podcast
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Every week, another star leaves the ballroom floor for good on 'Dancing with the Stars'. However, in October 2020, producers shocked viewers by announcing that original host Tom Bergeron would be leaving the show after 28 seasons.
Fans of 'Dancing with The Stars' were shocked when the show announced that seasoned host Tom Bergeron and his co-anchor Erin Andrews had been sacked after Season 28. Tyra Banks, the former host of 'America's Next Top Model', was announced as the pair's replacement in the summer of 2020. Many fans were outraged at Andrews and Bergeron's firings, as well as Banks' casting. 'DWTS' executive producer Andrew Llinares, on the other hand, came out in September 2020 about why the reality dance competition needed to alter.
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"I think it's all about evolution. I think any show like this that's been on for many, many seasons needs to continue to evolve," he admitted. "I think changing the host was all about evolution. It was about making the show feel fresh, making it feel new, kind of make it reach out to a new audience, as well as the audience that's been there for years," he continued, admitting that he feels people "get bored" with the same exact show year in and year out. "When a show has been on for this many seasons, it's very easy to stay in a place where there's nothing wrong," Llinares said. "But actually does the show feel fresh, exciting, and new? It's tough."
Tom Bergeron, the former host of 'Dancing with the Stars', recently appeared as a guest on Cheryl Burke's podcast, 'Burke in the Game'. During their discussion of the show, Bergeron opened up about being fired in 2020.
On Cheryl Burke's podcast, Tom Bergeron opens out about his 'DWTS' sacking
Burke refers to Bergeron as her "Dance Dad." She expressed her desire for him to return to the show, while emphasizing that she is not disparaging current host Tyra Banks. Bergeron voiced similar sentiments, stating that he had “no issues with anybody who’s in front of the camera on that show.”
“The only people I had issue with, they’re not there anymore for the most part,” Bergeron remarked. He went on to say that he was sacked because he was "taking issue" with the hiring of political heavyweights like Sean Spicer and Rick Perry as contestants on the show. Bergeron also slammed "ousted showrunner" Andrew Llinares, who allegedly assured him the show "wouldn’t go political." Former showrunner Conrad Green has subsequently taken over for Llinares. Bergeron tweeted around the time Llinares departed the program, "Karma's a b*tch."
Bergeron was outspoken in his opposition to the casting of former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in 2019. "Whether it was somebody I voted for or didn't, I didn't think a political person was an appropriate booking for the show, but also for the time we were going to be on, which was really on the cusp of the presidential election campaign, so we differed on that," he said on Bob Saget's 'Here for You' podcast. "I was public about that. I don't think that sat well with the producer or the network."
Bergeron also admitted that he wasn't that upset about being fired from 'DWTS' after clashing with executives. "The show that I left was not the show that I loved. So at the end of the seasons that turned out to be my last season, I kind of knew," he admitted, adding that he and co-host Erin Andrews "had more fun being fired than virtually anybody."
The TV host also stated that he had a "great fondness" for the show and encouraged viewers to continue watching.
On September 19, 2022, Season 31 of 'Dancing with the Stars' will premiere on Disney+. This will be the streaming platform's first live competition show. Tyra Banks will return as host, and former champion Alfonso Ribeiro will serve as co-host.