There's no waltzing around this news. Dancing with the Stars dropped a gigantic mirror ball bombshell when it announced that Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews would not be returning for Season 28. The decision to let the pair go comes as the ballroom competition faces an uncertain yet definitive future. Now, Andrews is responding after her involuntary exit was announced.
Erin Andrews took over as the co-host of Dancing with the Stars in 2014, four years after her stint on the show as a contestant with former DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Andrews replaced outgoing host/DWTS champion Brooke Burke. Six years after beginning her time co-hosting with Tom Bergeron, Andrews reflected on her exit by taking to Twitter, writing:
Thank you ABC and the entire Dancing with the Stars family for 6 memorable seasons. Those years wouldn't have been as special without my loving host Tom Bergeron, the talented dancers, and witty judges. I will always cherish my days on set, even if I wasn't the best at walking in heels.
Classy. Erin Andrews paid tribute to her former co-host and all of the other elements that comprised her time on Dancing with the Stars. Six years after the sportscaster took to the sidelines to co-host the competition for the mirror ball, it is currently unclear as to why the hit show decided to let go of both Andrews and Tom Bergeron.
Dancing with the Stars is among the shows that are set to return for new seasons on Mondays this fall on ABC despite the coronavirus pandemic. Now, Erin Andrews and Tom Bergeron not being part of the upcoming season is reportedly a part of a new direction the show hopes to go in. The Oscars are now managing without a host, can DWTS do the same?
The dancing competition has shaken things up in the past, with a new voting system getting implemented last season. The new rules did not entirely prevent controversy surrounding the eliminations that shook the latest installment. In addition, a format change was implemented in an attempt to avoid the previous disputes that had marred the competitive portion of Dancing with the Stars.
Moving forward without the iconic Tom Bergeron to break up the ballroom tension as Erin Andrews compassionately interviews contestants is a considerable shift. Does it mean there will be no ballroom to MC? I am uncertain. The news comes as Dancing with the Stars has been slowly filling its dance card.
Erin Andrews and Tom Bergeron have witnessed a lot of shockers in the ballroom, including the controversial win of Bobby Bones, which led to Dancing with the Stars skipping its spring 2019 season in an attempt to make changes that would curb further controversies. Off the dance floor, Andrews also secretly battled cancer at one point during the show but is now cancer-free.
Time will tell what losing Erin Andrews and Tom Bergeron will be like for Dancing with the Stars when the new season rolls around. I think it will be a lot less funny, but that's just my opinion. I would also guess that DWTS is planning to do a quarantine version of the show à la The Voice.
The dancing competition might have subsequently thought it didn't need hosts anymore. A theory that hits some rough terrain when you consider that American Idol kept Ryan Seacrest as its host during the coronavirus quarantine. For DWTS’ sake, I am hoping it will somehow manage to find a solution closer to what ABC’s The Bachelorette is planning for its upcoming season instead.
Regardless, it is sad news for Erin Andrews and Tom Bergeron, both of whom have handled their Dancing with the Stars exits with tremendous class and dignity. The mirror ball trophy will not shimmer as brightly without their energy to bounce off of, in my opinion.
Dancing with the Stars does not have a premiere date to return for its next season yet. It will air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. While you wait to go back to the ballroom (and those amazing costumes), check out the other shows set to dance their way onto this fall’s schedule.
