Beloved ABC Host Admits Wanting to “Screw” Show After Shocking Firing

For fourteen years, and nearly 450 episodes, Tom Bergeron was one of the most recognizable faces on ABC. He was one of the much-loved hosts on the hit show, Dancing with the Stars, alongside cohost Erin Andrews. He started hosting in 2005, when the show first began, and was a key part of the cast for 28 seasons. Then, in 2019, ABC shocked viewers when it announced both Bergeron and Andrews would not be returning for the 29th season. They were being replaced by America’s Next Top Model host, Tyra Banks.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bergeron opened up about his exit. He admitted that one of ABC’s casting choices really “pissed” him off and was the catalyst for his exit. That casting choice? Former Trump White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

According to Bergeron, he had signed a new three-year deal and, during a luncheon, he spoke with producers and told them not to cast any political figures. With the political climate becoming more divisive by the day, he thought it would be a poor choice to cast anyone in politics. He wanted viewers to be able to escape political talk, even if it was just for two hours per week.

The producers reportedly acted as though they agreed. But ultimately, they didn’t take what Bergeron said to heart, and cast Spicer as part of the show’s 28th season. A decision that put Bergeron over the edge.

“And I said, ‘Guys, this is exactly what we said we wouldn’t do!’” Bergeron recalls saying. “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 bullshit.’ So, I was furious.”

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Bergeron told THR that he was so upset by the decision that he offered to take the season off. The show countered by ending his contract altogether after season 28.

“It really pissed me off … my temper kicked in,” Bergeron says. “I was at least going to let people know that they f**king lied to me.”

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In 2019, before the show’s premiere, Bergeron went on Twitter (now called X) to let people know his feelings. And he wasn’t alone. Social media was flooded with people calling out ABC for casting someone so divisive. Bergeron also said that people he knew started “blowing up” his phone because they were so upset by what had happened.

Bergeron was asked if he told ABC what he was going to be saying before he released his statement. He said that, after what they had done to him, they “didn’t deserve to know.”

“‘They screwed me, I’m gonna screw them.’ I wanted the viewers to know this was a step too far. This was a step too far on the cusp of an election year.”

“I wrote the statement that I wrote, that did not name anybody, that did not name a political party. It merely said, ‘I was told certain things when I was asked my opinion, they agreed, and now they’ve thrown a curveball.’ They’re the producers of the show. If that’s what they want to do, they are entitled to do that. We will have to agree to disagree.”

He also confirmed that he was not taking that stance because he is a Democrat. Bergeron said that he would have taken the same stance if the show had cast a prominent Democrat. It was the fact that they cast a political figure at all.

After all the upheaval, Bergeron said that he knew he would be done. He felt that ABC had betrayed him, and they didn’t like that he made his feelings known.

Unfortunately for ABC, the decision to cast Banks as the new host didn’t go over well with fans. Many felt that Banks tried to make the show too much about her and not about the contestants. Banks hosted seasons 29 and 30 by herself, but was joined by former contestant and America’s Funniest Home Videos host Alfonso Ribeiro in season 31.

Banks left the show before season 32 and Ribeiro now hosts alongside former DWTS pro Julianne Hough.