‘Dancing with the Stars’: Tom Bergeron Breaks His Silence on Alfonso Ribeiro Casting
Former Dancing With the Stars host Tom Bergeron broke his silence one week after news that Alfonso Ribeiro was cast as a co-host on the dance competition series. Series fans learned that Ribeiro would join Tyra Banks as co-host on July 14 when the news was revealed on Good Morning America. Banks and Ribeiro will be the first co-hosting duo since Bergeron and Erin Andrews.
Tom Bergeron helmed ‘Dancing with the Stars’ for 15 years
Bergeron was the original host of the series, paired with Lisa Canning, for its 2005 debut.
Samantha Harris stood alongside Bergeron as co-host from 2002 through 2009.
Brooke Burke co-hosted DWTS from 2010 through 2013 after winning season 7 of the series alongside Derek Hough.
Erin Andrews was the last permanent co-host of the series from 2013 through 2020.
Bergeron discussed his firing with TV Line, saying he “kinda knew” he was on the way out.
Before season 28, Bergeron said there were “personnel changes behind the scenes” and “those people and I did not see eye-to-eye about how best to present the show.”
Bergeron felt that Dancing with the Stars should be “an oasis, for two hours every week, from all of the nonsense and the divisiveness going on right now, and let’s not put political people in there.”
His statement reportedly referred to Sean Spicer, former White House Communications Director under President Donald Trump, who was cast as one of the celebrities during Bergeron’s last season.
Tom Bergeron broke his silence regarding Ribeiro’s casting
Bergeron shared an Instagram post on July 19 where he gave his first statement regarding Ribeiro’s casting alongside Tyra Banks as the series moves to Disney+.
“Now, getting Conrad Green back as DWTS showrunner is only ONE of their smartest decisions. Here’s the other one Congratulations, buddy!” Bergeron wrote.
Green was the original showrunner of DWTS and ran the show through its Season 18 in 2014 before leaving to produce Utopia for Fox. He replaces Andrew Llinares, who departed last fall after Season 30.
Ribeiro replied, “I just hope I can make you proud.”
Other DWTS pros, past and present, including Cheryl Burke and Anna Trebunskaya, responded positively to Bergeron’s post.
Andrews added remarks to Bergeron’s note, writing, “I agree on both!”
Tom Bergeron and Alfonso Ribeiro have shared two notable television roles
Ahead of his Dancing with the Stars role and throughout his run, Bergeron hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos. This gig lasted from 2001 through 2015.
Ribeiro took over the role in 2015 and remains the series’ host until today.
At the time of Bergeron’s 2020 firing from DWTS, Ribeiro shared his thoughts in an interview with Us Weekly.
“I would’ve never made that decision, I think Tom and Erin are the backbones of the show,” Ribeiro said.
“I have no idea where they’re going to go, what changes they want to make, and why and how these decisions were made. But I think people like myself will miss Tom and Erin. It’ll be hard for me to see the show in whatever new form it is.”
Dancing with the Stars, with Alfonso Ribeiro as co-host alongside Tyra Banks, debuts this fall on Disney+.
