‘Dancing With The Stars’ Hosts Tom Bergeron & Erin Andrews To Exit ABC Reality Competition
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Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews will not be returning to host the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars.
Long-time host Bergeron, who has been on the show since 2005 and over 400 episodes, revealed the news on social media (below). He called the show the “most unexpected gift of my career”. Andrews, who has been his co-host since 2014 is also leaving as the show is refreshed.
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This comes as the long-running reality competition series, which is based on British format Strictly Come Dancing, faces the COVID-19 production challenges ahead of its fall debut.
“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,” said ABC and producer BBC Studios in a joint statement.
ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke recently told Deadline that BBC Studios, the company that produces the show, had taken lessons from other territories.
“I have seen the presentation from the Dancing with the Stars producers on how we are planning to produce this show, post-COVID and with the health regulations in place because they have the advantage of making it in other territories and I am blown away by the ingenuity and the care which they are producing it,” she said. “We are bringing all of those innovations to the American broadcast. I’m really confident in their plan.”
Last month, former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe became the first star lined up to waltz over to the show.
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?
— Tom Bergeron (@Tom_Bergeron) July 13, 2020
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