Tom Bergeron has apologized to Bobby Bones for comments he made recently about the radio host’s win on Dancing with the Stars in Season 27. Bones expressed hurt over Bergeron’s words, even saying he sent his Mirrorball trophy back to ABC.
Bobby Bones and his partner Sharna Burgess won Dancing with the Stars in 2018, despite consistently receiving lower scores than their fellow finalists. In a recent interview with Parade magazine, former DWTS host Tom Bergeron said that Bones’ win was the “thing that shocked me most” during his time on the show.
“Bobby Bones was the first time I kind of — it was like ouch,” Bergeron said, while visibly wincing.
Bones responded to Bergeron’s comment in a TikTok video earlier this week, calling it “hurtful” and adding, “What was I supposed to do on that show? I didn’t even want to be on the show. Like, I had no intention of being on Dancing with the Stars.”
The radio host explained that he was working on “a different show at the network” (likely referring to American Idol), and he was asked to participate in DWTS as promotion. As Bones said, “Am I supposed to not show up and work hard? Am I supposed to not give it freaking everything I have? Am I supposed to, like, throw it and not win?”
Bones said he was so frustrated by the negativity he still receives over his win that he “sent the trophy back to ABC,” explaining, “They don’t want me to be a part of the show, obviously. So I don’t want to be somewhere that doesn’t want me to be there.”
SEE ALSO: TOM BERGERON ADMITS HE FELT ‘BETRAYED’ BY ‘DWTS,’ WHICH LED TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE SERIES
Bergeron Apologizes for His Comment
Tom Bergeron has since apologized to Bobby Bones for his comment, posting on Instagram stories that he was “bound to say something inelegantly” while promoting his recent guest judge appearance on the DWTS 20th anniversary episode.
The former host shared a screenshot of a message he apparently sent to Bones, in which he wrote, “Bobby, it wasn’t my intention to hurt your feelings. My ‘ouch’ was based on my honest feeling that your win spoke to a need to address the balance between judge and viewer voting.”
Bergeron added that he “always felt bad” that Bones and Burgess “had to deal with the aftermath of that win.” He finished the message by writing, “I certainly regret pouring any salt into that old wound.”
