Tyra Banks Leaving ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘It’s Time’
After three seasons as the host of Dancing with the Stars, Tyra Banks is exiting the ballroom. She revealed the shocking news and her plans in a surprise tell outside a Whole Foods supermarket, saying, “it’s time.”
Tyra Banks was heavily criticized during her time as the host of ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Tyra Banks, who took over from longtime host Tom Bergeron in season 29, garnered mixed reactions from fans of the series during her freshman year as the series’ host. Many viewers had difficulty warming up to the former supermodel. Also, Banks faced an uphill battle after she replaced the series original host Tom Bergeron and his co-host, Erin Andrews.
Viewers of the series were angered over the switch, and many longtime fans chose not to watch in protest. This led to a decrease in viewership by 8 percent, claimed The Hollywood Reporter.
In season 30, it was announced Banks would remain with the series as its host and executive producer. For season 31, Banks was joined by former mirrorball winner Alfonso Ribiero as co-host when the series moved to the streaming platform Disney+ from its former ABC home.
However, some fans couldn’t get past Banks’ supermodel walkouts each episode, making many mistakes on the live episodes and her uncomfortable banter with many competing celebrities. Each season their cries for her to leave the series grew louder.
Tyra Banks announces she’s leaving ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Caught by TMZ outside of a Whole Foods supermarket, Tyra Banks admitted she would not return to Dancing with the Stars when the series returns for season 32 in the fall of 2023. She listed a series of reasons for her exit.
“I feel it’s really time for me to focus on my business and entrepreneurship, and also producing more TV — but behind the scenes,” Banks admitted. “I think it’s time to graduate from the dance floor to the stock market floor. From the ballroom to the boardroom!”
A reporter asked Banks if she was stepping away from the dance competition series, which currently streams on Disney+. She replied, “Don’t you think it’s time? Yeah, I think it’s time.”
Banks added, “I’m an entrepreneur at heart. I think my heart, my soul, is into my business; it’s also into producing new TV. But, I really, really want to focus on my business, and you can’t do that hosting a show.”
Tyra Banks knew she ‘had big shoes to fill’ on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
As host, Tyra Banks knew she had her work cut out for her on Dancing with the Stars when she first signed on for season 29. “I have serious shoes to fill,” says Banks of Bergeron.
She said of Bergeron, “I have respect for him. And when the network called me, I sat on it for a long time because I knew what Tom had done. The host is the ringmaster. And I thought, ‘Can I bring something fresh and exciting?’ I called my mama, and she said, ‘You need to do this.’ So I’m going to bring what I bring!”
“Dancing with the Stars is one of the biggest shows on TV, with a huge audience, and I respect that,” Banks told People Magazine of her initial hosting duties. “I can’t come in with a battering ram and try to change everything. That would be a bad business decision and dumb leadership. So I’m not doing that.”
“I listened to research, I listened to the fans, I killed half of my ideas, and then I doubled down on some of them. We want to implement those ideas but still respect the show — and add a little pixie dust!” she concluded in 2019.
Tyra Banks’s exit comes on the heels of season 31 mirrorball winner Mark Ballas’ last ballroom performance. Also, the series’ longest-tenured female pro, Cheryl Burke, retired at the close of the same season.
Dancing with the Stars is currently on hiatus—season 32 debuts in Sept. 2023.
