Tom Bergeron Says Politics Cost Him “Dancing with the Stars”
Tom Bergeron, the charismatic former host of “Dancing with the Stars,” found himself caught in a political tango. And it had nothing to do with the glitzy dance routines on the show. It was real-world Washington D.C. politics that cost him his gig.
In an interview on dancer Cheryl Burke’s “Sex, Lies and Spray Tans” podcast, Bergeron revealed that in 2019, during preparations for the upcoming season of the show, he expressed a desire to avoid any political controversies and refrain from casting political figures. He emphasized that the show should serve as a “wonderful escape from all that divisiveness for two hours a week,” and surprisingly, the executives agreed with his perspective.
Fast forward a bit, and Tom gets hit with the bombshell. They tell him that Sean Spicer, yes, the former White House press secretary, is going to be strapping on his dancing shoes for the show. You can probably imagine Tom’s reaction—FURIOUS is an understatement.
But Tom is a professional, and he’s got a solution. He suggests taking a breather for the season. A timeout, you know. But the producers come back with a curveball. They offer him an early exit from his contract. It’s a punch in the gut and an unmistakable sign that the end is nigh.
Tom decides he can’t keep this to himself. He has to let people know, so he issues a statement. No names, no finger-pointing, just a blunt statement saying, “they [effing] lied to me.”
Still, he hangs in there for the season, despite the brewing storm. But once the season’s curtain falls, the producers show him the exit door. It’s an unfortunate twist of fate for a host who just wanted to keep the show free from political drama.
And that’s how Tom Bergeron’s dance with “Dancing with the Stars” came to a dramatic end, all thanks to politics in the nation’s capital.
