Fans of the long-running ABC reality television show “Dancing With The Stars” were stunned in 2020 when longtime host Tom Bergeron was abruptly fired and replaced by supermodel Tyra Banks. Now, Bergeron is celebrating after Andrew Llinares, the executive producer who made the decision to fire him, has also been shown the door.
‘Karma’s A B****’
When a fan asked Bergeron for his thoughts on Llinares’ exit, he cheekily replied, “Karma’s a b— ?.”
https://twitter.com/Tom_Bergeron/status/1504573489960742930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1504573489960742930%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeople.com%2Ftv%2Ftom-bergeron-reacts-dwts-executive-producer-exit-dancing-with-the-stars-karma%2F
Back in September of 2020, Llinares openly took responsibility for choosing to fire Bergeron and replace him with Banks.
“Any show like this that has been on for many, many seasons needs to continue to evolve,” Llinares told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “So I think changing that host is all about evolution. It was all about making the show feel fresh, making it feel new and make it reach out to a new audience — as well as the audience that’s been there for years.”
Bergeron, 66, had hosted “Dancing With The Stars” ever since it premiered back in 2005, so his departure came as a shock to fans.
“It’s been an incredible 15-year run and the most unexpected gift of my career,” Bergeron said when he announced he would be leaving the series. “I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made.”
Related: Tom Bergeron Reveals The Real Reason He Was Fired From ‘Dancing With The Stars’
Bergeron ‘Wasn’t Surprised’ To Be Fired
Bergeron admitted back in October that he “wasn’t surprised” to be fired from “Dancing With The Stars.”
“In all candor, the show that I left was not the show that I loved,” he said, according to People Magazine. “So at the end of the season that turned out to be my last season, I kind of knew. I took everything out of my dressing room that I really wanted … It was kind of obvious that we were kind of butting heads [behind-the-scenes]. It wasn’t a pleasant [experience].”
“I wasn’t surprised that that was my last season, so there was no blue period,” he added as he spoke to the late comedian Bob Saget. “Actually, I think Erin and I had more fun being fired than virtually anybody.”
Check out Bergeron’s full interview about this below.
Related: Tom Bergeron Reveals If He’d Ever Go Back To ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Months After His Firing
Bergeron’s Friendship With Dick Van Dyke
Thankfully, Bergeron seems to be enjoying life in the wake of this situation. In a recent interview, he opened up about his friendship with 96-year-old former Mary Poppins star Dick Van Dyke. Check that out for yourself below!
https://twitter.com/Tom_Bergeron/status/1501177386263773185
Here’s a throwback to the two of them doing some iconic Laurel & Hardy:
View this post on Instagram
What happened to Bergeron on “Dancing With The Stars” was incredibly unfair, so we’re glad to see that justice seems to have been served with the producer who fired him being forced out of the show as well.
Karma really is a “b****,” and it’s safe to say that Llinares just learned that the hard way!
More About:Celebrity Entertainment