This new information came to light on Bergeron’s recent interview on the podcast “Bob Saget’s Here for You”. The two men (and fellow Masked Singer competitors) talked about the announcement of his exit back in July 2020 alongside co-host Erin Andrews, and Bergeron admitted he “kinda knew” it was coming. According to Bergeron, the story of his departure goes back a season before, to summer 2019. As DWTS was gearing up for season 28, there were apparently personnel changes going on behind the scenes. Bergeron said, “Those people and I did not see eye-to-eye about how best to present the show.” Perhaps the biggest conflict came with the choice of casting political celebrities on the show. Season 28 controversially included former White House press secretary Sean Spicer on the cast. At the time, Bergeron took to social media to vocally disagree with the decision the network made in having him on. As he told Saget, “[DWTS is] an oasis, for two hours every week, from all of the nonsense and the divisiveness going on right now, and let’s not put political people in there.” It seems the producers and network were not fond of what he did in a public forum, which began the cracks that led to their eventual separation. By the time season 28 ended, Bergeron and the producers were continually butting heads behind the scenes of how the show should be run. As he put it bluntly, “The show that I left was not the show that I loved.” From that perspective, he understood his firing and still has great memories as he looks back on 15 years of hosting the primetime series. And as for what came after him, Bergeron has some words for the DWTS fans who have boycotted the show as a result of his departure. “I want people to still watch it and support [the cast and crew],” he said, “and understand that, sure, it’s different, but there’s still very, very talented people who are going to be on your screens. I wasn’t surprised that was my last season, so there was no blue period. Actually, I think Erin and I had more fun being fired than virtually anybody.” Bergeron will return to TV in an upcoming adaptation of the game show Tic-Tac-Dough on NBC. Dancing with the Stars airs live Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Next, find out how much the Dancing with the Stars celebrities and pros get paid.
