NEED TO KNOW
- Dancing with the Stars’ current co-host, Julianne Hough, welcomed her friend Tom Bergeron back to the show’s ballroom
- The former DWTS returned to the show on Tuesday, Nov. 11, as an “honorary guest judge”
- She served as pro on seasons 4 through 8, and the TV presenter served as co-host during those same five seasons
Dancing with the Stars hosts from the past and present are celebrating the series’ 20 years on air.
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, and week 9 of season 34 of the competition, ABC celebrated the series’ 20th anniversary and brought back former host Tom Bergeron to the ballroom. Tom, 70, welcomed the audience to the show and was then joined by current co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough.
Then Alfonso and Julianne welcomed him with open arms, and Julianne announced he was the evening’s “honorary guest judge.” As she welcomed her friend back to the stage, she teared up and leaned on him for support.
“Hi sweetheart, I am thrilled to be here, what a rush,” Tom said to Julianne. The pair’s friendship extends back nearly two decades. Julianne served as a pro from seasons 4 through 8, while Tom was the host. He hosted seasons 1 through 29, from 2005 through 2020.
The former host then shared he’s hoping to see the kind of dance that gives “goosebumps,” while avoiding a “concussion” sitting next to Bruno Tonioli at the judges’ table.
Prior to appearing on the show, Tom told TV Insider that he anticipated the night would be “wonderfully emotional, nostalgic.”
“It’s so much fun to watch my friends do the work,” he joked. “I don’t have to throw to commercials. I don’t have to worry about the timing. I’ll be respectful and sensitive of what Alfonso has to deal with, ’cause I’ve been there,” he added.
“But I’m just looking forward to being in an environment surrounded by people I really care about on live television, where there’s no second take. It’s my happy place.”
Julianne, Tom and Alfonso each marked the occasion hours before the episode and shared videos to the official Instagram page. Julianne commented on the post and celebrated Tom’s return, writing, “Longest besides the judges of course… ❤️ Tom, YOU are magic ✨.”
Tom’s DWTS tenure came to a close in 2020, after he earned nine Emmy Award nominations and took home the award once in 2012.
But in 2020, he and his co-host at the time, Erin Andrews, would not be returning for season 29. After the announcement, the then executive producer, Andrew Llinares, explained that Tom had been let go as the series “evolves.” Adding, “It was all about making the show feel fresh, making it feel new and make it reach out to a new audience — as well as the audience that’s been there for years.”
After Tom and Erin were let go, ABC announced that Tyra Banks would replace them as the sole host. She served as the host for three seasons from 2020 to 2022 before she was joined by former winner Alfonso beginning in season 31 in 2022. Banks left the show and was replaced by Julianne Hough in 2023.
Before Tom departed the series, he expressed his discontent with the show’s decision to cast President Donald Trump’s ex-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in season 28. He shared his thoughts on X and explained that he met with the DWTS producers to try to convince them to steer away from politics.
Tom later clarified that he was more upset with the show’s decision to include politics in the first place than with the person himself and his political beliefs. Then in 2023, he reiterated that he was frustrated with the show’s producers in their decision to cast Spicer and do “exactly what we said we wouldn’t do.”
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