Tom Bergeron Won’t Be Back On ‘DWTS,’ Alfonso Ribeiro Joins Tyra Banks

Earlier this week, it was announced that the former “Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air” star Alfonso Ribeiro will be joining Tyra Banks as host of “Dancing With The Stars” for the upcoming 31st season. Prior to this announcement, the former “Dancing With The Stars” host Tom Bergeron was asked if he would potentially return to the ABC show, but he was quick to shut any notion of this down.

Bergeron Shuts Down Rumor

“Thursday on @GMA, special announcement about @officialdwts. Hope it’s a new host! @Tom_Bergeron, will you be in NYC??????” one social media user asked Bergeron.

“Nope. Sorry,” Bergeron bluntly responded. 

Just two days later, it was announced that Ribeiro would be joining Banks as host of the show.

“Dancing with the Stars has been such an important part of my life for so many years, and I am ecstatic to officially re-join this tight-knit family as cohost,” said Ribeiro, who won season 19 of the show, according to US Magazine. “Tyra and I have a longstanding friendship that I hope will resonate with all of the fans at home as we kick off this new season on Disney+.”

Banks also celebrated the announcement, saying, “I’ve known Alfonso since I was 19 years old and he always puts a smile on my face whenever I see him.”

“Having such a fun-loving, longtime friend as cohost warms my heart. Bantering back and forth with him live is going to be so much fun!” she continued.

Related: Tom Bergeron Reveals The Real Reason He Was Fired From ‘Dancing With The Stars’

Bergeron’s Firing 

Bergeron hosted “Dancing With The Stars” from its premiere in 2005 until he was suddenly and shockingly fired in the summer of 2020. 

“Just informed @DancingABC will be continuing without me,” he said at the time. “It’s been an incredible 15 year run and the most unexpected gift of my career. I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?”

Fans were shocked and horrified that Bergeron was fired and replaced with the supermodel Banks. After his firing was announced, Ribeiro spoke out to say that he could not imagine this show going on without Bergeron.

“I’ve texted back and forth with Tom. I would’ve never made that decision, obviously. I think Tom and Erin are the backbone of the show,” Ribeiro said in July of 2020. “I have no idea where they’re going to go and what changes they want to make and why and how these decisions were made. But I think people like myself will absolutely miss Tom and Erin. It’ll be hard for me to see the show in whatever new form it is.”

Ribeiro was referring to Bergeron’s former co-host Erin Andrews, who was unceremoniously fired along with him.

Related: Tom Bergeron Celebrates After ‘DWTS’ Executive Producer Who Fired Him Exits

‘We Love Tom’

“Sometimes I look at things and I say, ‘Why don’t we just make a new show?'” Ribeiro continued. “We love Tom, and Tom to me is the best host on television. … I’m hoping that [Tyra] does a great job. But it’s hard. It’s going to be hard for me to watch it without Tom in there.”

Despite all the backlash his firing received, Bergeron has said that he doesn’t hold a grudge. 

“When people say, ‘I’m not gonna watch until you’re back,’ I say, ‘Well, there’s really no ‘until’ here,’” Bergeron said in December of 2020. “This train has left the station. I appreciate the sentiment, and I don’t hold it against anybody if they [watch].”

Even so, “Dancing With The Stars” has struggled in the wake of Bergeron’s firing, with many feeling that Banks is not a good host. It remains to be seen whether or not adding Ribeiro into the mix will help both her and the show succeed again. 

That Awkward Moment When Banks Messed Up The Results

In 2020, Banks made a mistake when announcing the couples in the bottom two. She announced a couple that was in the bottom two as being safe. Imagine their disappointment when they found out they were going home!

Here’s the cringeworthy video: