Brooke Burke got candid about Tyra Banks hosting Dancing with the Stars. Given that she won the ABC dancing competition before co-hosting it from season 10 through 17, Brooke was asked her thoughts on Tyra’s job performance, as the former supermodel has been criticized for it. “She’s a diva. Everybody knows that she’s a diva. There’s nothing wrong with that. And I’m not saying anything bad about her. Be a diva. It’s not the place to be a diva,” Brooke shared on the latest Behind The Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast.
The TV personality, 50, continued, “Your pros are the diva. Your winner. Your perfect 10 score dancer who’s never done it. That defines diva in the ballroom. So, I just think it wasn’t embraced. I think that show requires a lot of compassion and loving kindness, especially as the host.”
In 2020, fans were shocked to find out the OG host Tom Bergeron was given the boot and replaced by Tyra, who also serves as executive producer. “I think it was a tough transition,” Brooke explained. “Change is hard for everyone, they’ve gone through a lot on that show. That’s for sure. And you are just not the star as the host. It is just not about you as the host. Right? So yeah, I think Tyra is great in a shining role. I will just say that.”
Soon after Tyra began hosting the hit program, she was met with backlash. Some slammed the America’s Next Top Model producer for her fashion choices, while others couldn’t let go of her on-air slip ups, including accidentally announcing the wrong names during the contest. “The world is angry at the talent, but there’s a whole control room and things happening and craziness going on,” Tyra clapped back over the mistake in 2021. “I was blamed for it, and it wasn’t me,” she said. “And I think that’s very important to say.”
Brooke’s interview comes days after it was announced Dancing with the Stars will be moving to the Disney+ streaming app for the next season. “The show’s broad appeal, as well as the overwhelming popularity of its Disney-themed competition nights, make Disney+ the perfect home for Dancing With the Stars while continuing to expand our demographic reach,” the Chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Kareem Daniel, said in a statement.