Tom Bergeron Breaks Silence on Dancing With the Stars Comeback After Five-Year Hiatus
Five years after his exit, original Dancing With the Stars host Tom Bergeron returns to the ballroom — not to host, but to shake things up in a looser, more unpredictable role.
Well, here we go: Tom Bergeron is heading back to Dancing with the Stars. Not behind the mic, though. The original host is sliding into the judge panel for one night only, and he sounds very ready to stir the pot in the best possible way.
What he is doing (and when)
Bergeron will guest judge on DWTS' 20th Birthday Party episode, the show's big anniversary hour. It is a one-night cameo, not a full-time return, but he is treating it like an event: past champions and competitors will be in the audience and there is a special dance challenge built specifically to crank up the nostalgia. He called the whole thing a wonderfully emotional, throwback-heavy night.
"It is going to be very similar to my hosting style: somewhat loose and unpredictable."
How this came together
This was Bergeron's idea. The Emmy-winning host pitched the anniversary judge gig himself. His terms were pretty on-brand: pay him scale, make a nice donation to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and let him judge. He also admitted there was no way he could just sit in the audience and behave. He knows himself too well; he'd get fidgety and probably cause trouble.
He also credited Conrad Green for making it happen. Green ran DWTS at the start, left in 2014, and came back in 2022. With Green back in charge, the door reopened.
Quick rewind: why he left in the first place
Bergeron was fired in 2020 after a very public clash over casting. As he explained on Cheryl Burke's podcast Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans, he argued that bringing on a political figure during an election year was the wrong call. The then-showrunner, Andrew Llinares, brought in former White House press secretary Sean Spicer anyway. Bergeron felt burned by that choice, suggested taking the season off, and instead got his contract terminated. He made it clear at the time on social media that he was angry and disappointed.
The episode vibe
Expect a reunion feel. Bergeron says you will see familiar faces in the crowd and a one-night-only challenge designed to trigger fond memories. The plan is pure remembrance and a little chaos - the good kind.
The timeline, at a glance
- 2014: Original showrunner Conrad Green departs DWTS.
- 2020: Bergeron is fired after a dispute over casting Sean Spicer during an election year.
- 2022: Conrad Green returns to run the show.
- Season 34: Bergeron returns for a single night as a guest judge on the 20th Birthday Party episode.
Bottom line: after five years away and a messy exit, Bergeron is back for one night, on his terms, with the nostalgia dial turned up and the unpredictability very much intact.