Dancing With the Stars Ousts Host After 15 Years

Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews exit the show ahead of season 29
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 14, 2020 12:38 AM CDT
Dancing With the Stars Boots Hosts
In this March 29, 2010 file publicity image released by ABC, Tom Bergeron, host of "Dancing with the Stars," is shown on the set in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/ABC, Adam Larkey, file)

Dancing With the Stars has bid adieu to its hosts ahead of the reality competition's 29th season. Tom Bergeron, who has hosted the show since its first season in 2005, announced the news with a bit of levity, tweeting, "Just informed @DancingABC will be continuing without me. It's been an incredible 15 year run and the most unexpected gift of my career. 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?" Many fans expressed dismay in the replies. Bergeron's rep added a bit of snark, issuing this statement to ETOnline: "ABC opted not to pick up Tom's option. In the fine tradition of Hollywood cliches, they're 'going in a different direction.'"

Indeed, ABC and BBC Studios basically used that line in their joint explanation for why both Bergeron and Erin Andrews, who has co-hosted since 2014, per Deadline, are out: "Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family. As we embark on a new creative direction, he departs the show with our sincerest thanks and gratitude for his trademark wit and charm that helped make this show a success. Erin will also not be returning, and we appreciate all that she brought to the ballroom. Fans have been rooting for her since she originally competed as a contestant back in 2010, and her signature sense of humor has become a hallmark of the show." Us reports no premiere date has been set for the new season, and it's not clear how it will proceed amid the coronavirus pandemic. (More Dancing with the Stars stories.)

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