Tom Bergeron Returns to ‘DWTS,’ But He's Still Salty About His Exit

Tom Bergeron, the original host of Dancing with the Stars, is returning tonight as a guest judge on the show. It’s a big deal. It’ll be Bergeron’s first time back since his 2020 exit, and according to him, he wouldn’t have returned if original showrunner Conrad Green hadn’t come back to replace Andrew Llinares, who oversaw Bergeron’s departure. Llinares’ tenure was short; he brought in Tyra Banks to replace Bergeron. It did not go well.

Bergeron seems genuinely happy to return and pleased with the show’s recent resurgence, which likely comes down to stronger casting (they’re leaning into influencers now) and Disney+ streaming it live. He’s also a big fan of Alfonso Ribeiro, who once replaced him as host of America’s Funniest Home Videos, now in its 36th season.

Still, Bergeron remains frank about his firing. “It pissed me off,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’ll be honest with you. I did not like the showrunner. He knew that. I didn’t like being lied to, and he did that. So when he got fired — I think when Twitter was still a thing — I posted, ‘Karma is a b*tch.’”

The reason for his firing? Bergeron opposed casting Sean Spicer, or any political figure, for that matter. “I was the one who was trying not to bring politics into the show,” he said. “Even when I released my statement, I was careful not to mention a political party or Sean [Spicer], because that wasn’t the issue. I even said to Sean, ‘If they had cast Hillary Clinton — I voted for her, I don’t want her on the show. We were on the cusp of an election year in 2019.’ It was the wrong move, and after being assured they wouldn’t do that, for them to turn around and do it was the last straw.”

He still stands by that position. “I’ve always felt Dancing with the Stars should be the two hours where you can just get away from all the bullsh** and enjoy yourself, and have fun and look at the camaraderie of the cast.”

As for whether Bergeron would ever return as host? That door’s closed. He’s not joining as a dancer either; he’s seen how hard it is, and as he put it, he’s older than Andy Richter. Speaking of which, Conan O’Brien has been keeping tabs on his old friend this season and told NESN that Richter “is a phenomenon. I am a proud dad. I’m also a proud mom — I’m both those figures to Andy. I text with him all the time. Every time he gets by a new hurdle, I’m just delighted for him.”

And according to my math, Richter will likely stick around for at least two more weeks.