When the ballroom dancing competition series Dancing With the Stars returns to ABC for Season 29, it is going to look completely different. ABC and DWTS producer BBC Studios has announced that they are embarking “on a new creative direction,” and this means that Tom Bergeron and co-host Erin Andrews will not be returning.
Bergeron has hosted all 28 seasons of DWTS since it premiered back in 2005, while Andrews, 42, joined as co-host during Season 10 back in 2014. Lisa Canning was the original co-host during Season 1, followed by Samantha Harris in Seasons 2 through 9.
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 Bergeron (@Tom_Bergeron) July 13, 2020
In a joint statement to Deadline, ABC and BBC Studios said that Bergeron will forever be a part of the Dancing With the Stars family. They added that he departs the show with their 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,” read the statement.
Bergeron tweeted that he had just been informed that Dancing With the Stars would be continuing without him. He described it as an “incredible 15-year run” and “the most unexpected gift” of his career. The TV host said that he is grateful for that, and for the lifelong friendships he made during his time on the show.
“That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?” joked Bergeron.
Bergeron, 65, previously hosted Hollywood Squares and America’s Funniest Home Videos. During Season 3 of The Masked Singer, he performed as the Taco.
Andrews – who previously worked as a reporter for ESPN and Fox Sports – has not yet commented on her departure from DWTS.
ABC has officially renewed Dancing With the Stars for Season 29, but the COVID-19 pandemic has left production up in the air. The new season is slated to premiere this fall in its regular Monday night time slot.
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Last month, Chris Harrison surprised The Bachelorette alum Kaitlyn Bristowe during an episode of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever! by announcing that she will be a contestant on Season 29.
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