Tom Bergeron was the host of Dancing With the Stars for 28 seasons before he was fired from the show in 2019. Fans were devastated to see Bergeron leave, but it turns out he wouldn’t have been around for much longer anyway.
Amid the show’s 34th season, Bergeron has been sharing throwback photos from his time on the show, which has prompted fans to comment about how much they miss him. When one fan asked if they should feel guilty for still watching the dance competition after Bergeron’s departure, he made a surprising confession about when he would’ve left the series if he wasn’t let go.
“Absolutely not a betrayal,” Bergeron assured the commenter. “In fact, I encourage you to watch it! Here’s the thing; even if they HADN’T fired me, I would’ve left after Season 30, when my contract ended. That had always been my plan. The team there now has my full support.”
Tyra Banks hosted Dancing With the Stars for Seasons 29, 30, and 31. During Season 31, Alfonso Ribeiro joined as co-host before becoming the lead host during Season 32. He has been joined by Julianne Hough as co-host since then.
Bergeron previously opened up to TV Insider about his plans to leave after Season 30, explaining, “As circumstances played out, I left two seasons before. But those seasons were during COVID, so what would’ve been my last two … I would’ve hated them. Everything I loved about the show, the camaraderie, hanging out, none of that would’ve been available. I’m glad it didn’t end that way. And not surprisingly, the showrunner that I locked horns with didn’t last much longer anyway.”
He also teased that he’s “presented a scenario” to now-showrunner Conrad Green in which he would “come back for one night,” but did not specify when that would be. The show is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary this season.
Bergeron previously said on the Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast that he was fired from the show because he criticized producers for casting Sean Spicer. Bergeron recalled telling producers not to cast political figures and said they agreed with him, which was why he was so shocked when he found out Spicer was on the show just weeks later.
“I said, ‘Guys, this is exactly what we said we wouldn’t do!’” Bergeron revealed. “And I would have responded the same way if they had booked Hillary Clinton, whom I voted for. ‘Don’t go there. This is not the right time. Play to our strengths. Be the show that gives people a break from all this bulls**t.’ So, I was furious.”
Bergeron said he offered to take the season off, but was instead offered to be let out of his contract entirely. When the cast with Spicer was announced, Bergeron aired his grievances on Twitter as a way to clap back at the show producers who “f**king lied” to him. Although he went through hosting that year, he said he knew it would likely be his last.
Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+
For a more extended celebration of two decades of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands now.