Tom Bergeron has opened up about his shock exit from Dancing With The Stars, claiming that he was ‘screwed’ behind the scenes.
The 68-year-old before he was ‘fired’, with Tyra Banks stepping in to replace him.
The as he had been on the program since it first premiered, and was hugely popular with those watching on from home.
Appearing on the Sex, Lies and Spray Tans , the star unpacked his sudden departure to former professional dancer Cheryl Burke, sharing his take on how it all went down.
In the candid chat, he recalled separate meetings with two showrunners in 2019 to discuss season 28, where he suggested that DWTS should be ‘the wonderful escape’ from the divisiveness surrounding the election cycle, something he said they agreed on.
However, there was a huge U-turn behind the scenes when Donald Trump’s former press secretary, , a decision that Tom found a betrayal.
‘Guys, this is exactly what we said we wouldn’t do,’ he explained during the interview. ‘I would have responded the same way if they booked Hillary Clinton, whom I voted for. Don’t go there, this is not the right time, play to our strengths. Be the show that gives people a break from all this bulls**t.
‘I was furious. At one point, I even said, “How about if I took this season off?” They said, “You do that, we’ll let you out of your contract if you want.”
‘That really p***ed me off. I said, let me try to be Switzerland here, but I was furious.’
Following Sean’s casting, Tom famously released a statement sharing that he was unhappy with the decision, and that it went against discussions that had been held in private.
‘My temper kicked in and I was at least going to let people know that they f**king lied to me,’ he continued.
‘They had screwed me, I’m going to screw them. But I wanted the viewers to know this was a step too far to me.
‘This was a step too far on the cusp of an election year. And again, had it been a Democrat, same statement.
‘What was happening was, we were suddenly becoming this show at its worst.’
The announcement that Sean would be taking part was also met with huge backlash from loyal viewers – with Tom adding: ‘At that moment, I knew this is probably my last season, because of that one betrayal.
‘I was miserable the whole season.’
The presenter later shared the news of his exit on Twitter on July, 2020, with co-star Erin Andrews also axed in the move.
‘Just informed that @DancingABC will be continuing without me,’ he tweeted 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?’
‘Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family,’ a spokesperson for ABC added in another statement. ‘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.
‘Erin will also not be returning, and we appreciate all that she brought to the ballroom.
‘Fans have been rooting for her since she originally competed as a contestant back in 2010, and her signature sense of humor has become a hallmark of the show.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted DWTS for a comment.
