Bergeron hosted the reality TV competition from its debut in 2005 to 2019. Tom Bergeron explains who almost replaced him on Dancing With the Stars Bergeron hosted the reality TV competition from its debut in 2005 to 2019. By Raechal Shewfelt :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RaechalShewfeltauthorphotoc49d3a3b6aa442f588f2bbc0de804e09.jpg) Raechal Shewfelt Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at . She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American Journalism Review and The Shreveport Times. EW's editorial guidelines on March 13, 2026 5:59 p.m.

Bergeron hosted the reality TV competition from its debut in 2005 to 2019.

Tom Bergeron explains who almost replaced him on Dancing With the Stars

Bergeron hosted the reality TV competition from its debut in 2005 to 2019.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

EW's editorial guidelines

on March 13, 2026 5:59 p.m. ET

Tom Bergeron hosts 'Dancing With the Stars'. Credit:

ABC/Eric McCandless

Former* Dancing With the Stars *host Tom Bergeron left the reality TV competition in 2019, after having been with the series since it debuted in 2005.

Tyra Banks, the former host of *America's Next Top Model*, eventually took over duties from Bergeron and Erin Andrews, a former competitor who had cohosted alongside Bergeron since 2014. (Current hosts are Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough.)

In between, however, radio personality Bobby Bones, who'd been paired with Sharna Burgess, and won the entire show in 2018, was a candidate to host, the two recalled this week on Bones' *The BobbyCast*.

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"Before they went to Tyra Banks to replace me, they went to you, right?" Bergeron asked.

Bones answered, "Yes, but in full transparency, I was told you were leaving."

When Bergeron said he wasn't given a choice, Bones said he had simply been told that Bergeron was leaving at the end of the season. Would he want to host?

"I respected you so much," Bones said. "I was like, 'Hey, can I talk to Tom and get advice on this decision?'"

Tom Bergeron; Bobby Bones.

ABC/Eric McCandless; Allen Berezovsky/Getty

Bones alleged that he was told, "Contractually, we don't think you should do that."

To this, Bergeron said, "They are such weasels sometimes, aren't they?"

** has reached out to the show for comment.

Bergeron also took the opportunity to apologize to Bones for saying that Bones' win on the ABC series was the result that shocked him the most.

"It's funny you're asking about eliminations" Bergeron told *Parade *in November. "The thing that shocked me most was a win. Bobby Bones."

Bobby Bones reflects on Tom Bergeron's 'DWTS' comments that caused a 'minor meltdown'

Why did Tom Bergeron leave 'DWTS'? Here's why he felt 'screwed' after his original departure

He went on to compare Bones with Andy Richter, who competed in 2025.

"He's charming and has such a big heart," Bergeron said of the former Conan O'Brien sidekick. "Do I think he's going to win? No. Do I think he's bringing a quality to the show that epitomizes what the show is? Absolutely. But Bobby Bones was the first time it was like, 'Ouch.' No disrespect to Bobby. He would probably say the same thing."

Bergeron told Bones that he regretted his choice of words.

"I felt terrible that the way I phrased my honest surprise at your win, I think the question to me was, 'What's the most shocking elimination?'" Bergeron said in their conversation. "I couldn't remember a shocking elimination. And I wish I had said, 'Well, this wasn't a shock, but it was a surprise when Bobby Bones won.'"

Bones noted that he found the comment "hurtful" and had returned his Mirrorball trophy.

"I didn't even want to be on the show," Bones said on TikTok. "I had no intention of being on *Dancing with the Stars*. I was working on a different show at the network, they asked me to go on the show to promote. Am I supposed to not show up and work hard?"

In his conversation with Bones, Bergeron said, "The fact that it hurt your feelings and that you sent your trophy back, I felt terrible about that."

*Dancing With the Stars* crowned its most recent champion, Robert Irwin, in December.

- Dancing with the Stars Fandom

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Source: "EW Dancing"

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Source: Dancing

Published: March 14, 2026 at 02:57PM on Source: PRIME TIME

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