Tom Bergeron Gets Honest About ‘DWTS’ Firing on Cheryl Burke’s Podcast
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Former Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron was recently a guest on Cheryl Burke’s podcast, Burke in the Game. The pair chatted about the show and Bergeron got honest about his firing in 2020.
Tom Bergeron Talks to Cheryl Burke About Dancing With the Stars Firing
After 28 seasons on the show, Bergeron was fired from DWTS in 2020, along with his co-host Erin Andrews. They were replaced with new host Tyra Banks, who is returning for Season 31 with co-host Alfonso Ribeiro.
Burke calls Bergeron her “Dance Dad.” She said that she would love for him to come back to the show, while making it clear that she’s not shading current host, Tyra Banks. Bergeron expressed similar sentiments, saying he has “no issues with anybody who’s in front of the camera on that show.”
“The only people I had issue with, they’re not there anymore for the most part,” Bergeron said. He went on to share his belief that he was fired for “taking issue” with the casting of political figures such as Sean Spicer as contestants on the show.
Bergeron also shaded the “ousted showrunner” Andrew Llinares, who had apparently told him that the show “wouldn’t go political.” Llinares has since been replaced with former showrunner Conrad Green. Around the time Llinares left the show, Bergeron tweeted, “Karma’s a b*tch.”
SEE ALSO: TOM BERGERON CLARIFIES THAT HIS ‘DWTS’ BALLROOM DAYS ARE DEFINITELY OVER
Bergeron Admits He Wasn’t Sure Burke’s Marriage Would Last
Bergeron and Burke also got personal during their conversation, mentioning her married. Burke asked him if he thought she would ever be single again when he attended her wedding to Matthew Lawrence in 2019. The couple is currently going through a divorce.
Bergeron paused at first, before responding, “Yes. I remember thinking I would happily go to as many weddings as you have.” When asked to elaborate, the former host explained that he remembered Burke and Lawrence dating and breaking up years before.
He went on to call it “a pressure cooker environment” for the couple living in Los Angeles in the public eye. So he thought at the time of the wedding that it was like buying stock — “there’s a chance it could go up, there’s a chance it can go down.”
Burke laughed at this revelation and said she didn’t take it personally. Bergeron clarified, “I’m always hoping for the best, but I figured however it played out, you would be able to handle it.”
