Tom Bergeron was Dancing With the Stars’ original host. For 28 seasons, the television host was the face of the reality TV competition series. But that came to an end in July 2020 when Disney announced that Tom and his co-host, Erin Andrews, had been let go. Now that he’s returning to the ballroom for one night only on November 11, 2025, longtime fans are wondering why he left DWTS in the first place.
Below is everything we know about Tom’s departure from DWTS and his highly anticipated return for one season 34 episode.
Yes, Tom was fired by Disney in 2020, he confirmed in an X post (formerly known as Twitter), at the time.
“Just informed @DancingABC will be continuing without me,” Tom tweeted. “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?”
Disney released a statement about Tom’s exit, citing their decision as a “new creative direction.”
“Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family,” the company stated. “As we embark on a new creative direction, he departs the show with our sincerest thanks and gratitude for his trademark wit and charm that helped make this show a success.”
Now-former DWTS executive producer Andrew Llinares said Tom was released because Disney wanted the show to “evolve” with the times.
