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Taking the lead! The Dancing With the Stars showrunners caused a stir when they replaced hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews with Tyra Banks in July 2020 — but it wasn’t the first time the role had a change of guards.
Bergeron served as the constant host for the dance competition from its 2005 debut through season 28, which aired in 2019. Ahead of his exit in the summer of 2020, he only briefly stepped away from the show to tend to his ailing father, which is when former contestant Alfonso Ribeiro filled in.
The former America’s Funniest Home Videos host, however, had his fair share of cohosts before Andrews came on board in 2014 starting with season 18.
“Love u @Tom_Bergeron!! I can’t wait … and the best part is I won’t be getting 7’s from Len [Goodman] and yelled at for not pointing my toes! #winner,” Andrews tweeted in February 2014 after news broke of her new hosting gig.
The sports journalist competed on DWTS during season 10 with pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy as her partner. They came in third place.
Bergeron and Andrews were caught off guard when ABC decided to cut them both as hosts after 11 seasons together in 2020.
“It’s been an incredible 15-year run and the most unexpected gift of my career,” Bergeron tweeted in July of that year. “I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made.”
Andrews, for her part, thanked the network for her time on the show and her longtime friend Bergeron for being by her side the whole time.
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“Thank you ABC and the entire Dancing With the Stars family for 6 memorable seasons,” the former Good Morning America correspondent tweeted at the time. “Those years wouldn’t have been as special without my loving host Tom Bergeron, the talented dancers, and witty judges.”
She later reflected on the surprising career change in November 2021, exclusively telling Us Weekly that it was actually a blessing in disguise.
“I give my best to them. My schedule has been so crazy with [football commentating], the clothing line, the podcasts … trying to have a baby, that I think it was the best thing for me,” the Maine native said. “They wanted to go a different direction, and they’re doing that now. So, hopefully they’re happy.”
Nearly three years after joining the ABC series, Banks hinted that her cohosting tenure had come to an end. “I feel it’s time for me to really focus on my business and my entrepreneurship. I think it’s time. I think my heart and soul are in my business and in producing TV … and you can’t do that hosting a show. So you’ll see me creating things, not just hosting things,” she told TMZ in March 2023.
Variety confirmed Banks’ exit soon after her cryptic comments. Julianne Hough was tapped to replace the model ahead of season 32.
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Scroll down to relive all of DWTS hosts through the years:
