After 11 years of co-hosting together, Tom Bergeon, 65, and Erin Andrews, 42, will not be returning as co-hosts for Dancing With the Stars season 29. Tyra Banks, 46, will be the sole host of the new season. The news about Tom and Erin’s departures was revealed back in July 2020. Tom tweeted: “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 getting let go from Dancing With the Stars was a shock to everyone. He had been the host of the show since its very first season in 2005. ABC and BBC Studios confirmed both Tom and Erin wouldn’t be returning in a statement following Tom’s tweet.
“Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family,” the statement read. “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.”
Erin, who began co-hosting with Tom in season 18, posted on her Instagram page after the announcement. “Thank you ABC and the entire Dancing With the Stars family for 6 memorable seasons,” she wrote. “Those years wouldn’t have been as special without my loving co-host Tom Bergeron, the talented dancers and witty judges. I will always cherish my days on that set, even if I wasn’t the best at walking in heels.”
With Tom and Erin gone, Tyra will be stepping in as the new host. Tyra is no stranger to hosting. She was the longtime host of America’s Next Top Model and hosted America’s Got Talent seasons 12 and 13. Tyra addressed the host shakeup in an interview with reporters, including HollywoodLife. “It is a different ringmaster, but it is still the show that they will know and love,” Tyra said. She acknowledged that “change is hard,” but she’s going to bring “some sparkle to the show that is new and exciting and different.”
The hosting switch-up isn’t the only DWTS change this season. Derek Hough, 35, will be a new judge alongside Carrie Ann Inaba, 52, and Bruno Tonioli, 64. Longtime host Len Goodman, 76, is unable to judge DWTS season 29 live in the ballroom, but he will be a part of the show in a different capacity. In the wake of COVID-19, there will be no live audience this season. Dancing With the Stars will air Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.