Tom Bergeron Returns to the Ballroom After Five Years Away
Tom Bergeron, the face that once defined Dancing With the Stars , is stepping back into the ballroom — but this time, not as the host. After five years away from the glitter and the glare, Bergeron is making his return as a guest judge for the show’s 20th anniversary celebration. It’s a full-circle moment for the man who helped turn the ABC dance competition into a household favorite — and one that comes with a mix of reflection, relief, and redemption.
For longtime fans, Bergeron’s exit in 2020 was nothing short of shocking. The beloved host was let go after he publicly criticized the show’s decision to cast former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, arguing that Dancing With the Stars should remain a place of fun and escape, not politics. That decision, and his outspoken stance, ultimately cost him his job. “I didn’t like being lied to,” he admits now, recalling how frustrated he felt at the time. Still, he looks back with pride on his 14 great years on the show, calling his departure a result of “a personality clash” rather than a loss of love for the series itself.
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Now, as Bergeron prepares to return to the dance floor, he’s clear about one thing — this comeback wouldn’t have happened under the old leadership. “If the previous regime was still in charge, I wouldn’t go back,” he told The Hollywood Reporter . His decision was influenced by the return of executive producer Conrad Green, who originally launched the series in 2005 and recently came back to revive it. Green personally reached out, inviting Bergeron to participate in the milestone episode. After a friendly lunch and a few humorous conditions — including a donation to the Motion Picture and Television Fund — Bergeron agreed.
He’s not planning to overthink his judging debut. In his words, he’ll be focusing less on technique and more on emotion — reacting to whether a dance truly connects. “I’m going for what it made me feel,” he said. “Did I laugh, did I get choked up — that’s what I can bring.”
Still, returning to the ballroom without Len Goodman, his longtime colleague and friend who passed away in 2023, will be bittersweet. Bergeron says he adored Goodman and will miss his presence deeply, calling him “the dad figure among the judges.”
As for whether Bergeron would ever host Dancing With the Stars again? That’s a firm no. “They’ve got great people doing it now,” he laughs. Competing, he jokes, is even more unlikely: “I’d need a partner with medical training.”
After all these years, Tom Bergeron’s wit, warmth, and authenticity haven’t faded. His return isn’t about reclaiming a spotlight — it’s about celebrating the family, the memories, and the joy that made Dancing With the Stars sparkle in the first place.
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