Former Dancing With the Stars host Tom Bergeron recently revealed what he’s missed the most since leaving the show.
Bergeron famously hosted the dance competition show for its first 28 seasons, with various celebrities winning.
During that time, Bergeron saw several changes to his co-host with Lisa Canning, Samantha Harris, Brooke Burke, and Erin Andrews in the role for various seasons.
Model and television star Tyra Banks replaced him as host for Season 29 and remained there for three seasons before leaving the show.
Since then, it has been in the hands of Alfonso Ribeiro and dancer Julianne Hough as the host and co-host, respectively.
While Bergeron doesn’t seem to miss Dancing With the Stars much, he mentioned missing some aspects.
What does Tom Bergeron miss about DWTS?
This past weekend, Bergeron, 69, attended the 6th Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards. While there, E! News caught up with the former DWTS host to get his thoughts about the show since leaving.
“To be honest, I never watched it when I was hosting it. I watched it while I was there, obviously, but I never watched it as a TV show,” he admitted.
When asked what he misses most about hosting the dance competition show, he joked, “The paycheck.”
He told E! News that he misses some people from the show but is “really happy not hosting” anymore.
In 2020, Bergeron announced he was leaving the show before Season 29.
In October 2023, he appeared on former DWTS pro dancer Cheryl Burke’s podcast and discussed how the show no longer aligned with his beliefs about what it should be.
That was due to the casting decision to bring Donald Trump’s former press secretary, Sean Spicer, in as a celebrity contestant for Season 28.
“Well, look, 2019 is the threshold to an election year in America. We are a very divided country,'” Bergeron said on Burke’s podcast, adding, “Just nobody, of any party, don’t go there. Just make us the wonderful escape from all that divisiveness for two hours a week.'”
Along with DWTS, Bergeron also hosted ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos for 14 years before Ribeiro took over the hosting job.
DWTS host presented Bergeron with the inaugural Sam Rubin Award
During the Critics Choice Awards, Bergeron received the inaugural Sam Rubin Award. Rubin was a KTLA anchor and longtime Critics Choice board member. He passed away in May due to a heart attack.
Current DWTS host Alfonso Ribeiro presented Bergeron with his award. After the two friends hugged, Bergeron joked about their “arrangement.”
“Not a lot of people realize Alfonso, and I have kind of a bartered arrangement. In return for him hosting America’s Funniest Videos and now Dancing With the Stars, I get to now do the Fresh Prince reunion,” he said.
“But I have to learn his damn dance,” Bergeron joked after the initial laughs from the audience.
While presenting the award, Ribeiro explained that the Critics Choice Association created the Sam Rubin Award to honor “those who understand, as Sam did, that the greatest value of celebrity is as an enhanced platform to do good works for others.”
Bergeron is an advocate for philanthropic causes, including the March of Dimes and the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
“I am thrilled to present the inaugural Sam Rubin Award to the man whose footsteps I’ve been fortunate to follow and couldn’t be more proud to honor with this incredible award. My friend and mentor, a man I would follow anywhere,” Ribeiro said of Bergeron.
Dancing With the Stars Season 33 premiere is TBA for ABC and Disney+.