DANCING with the Stars’ former host, Tom Bergeron, has slammed the show’s production changes, five years after his departure.
Tom, the original host of the competition series, is returning as a guest judge during Tuesday night’s episode to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary.
It will be the TV star’s first time in the ballroom since his firing in 2020, after butting heads with the then-showrunner over allowing the casting of political figures, specifically Donald Trump’s former White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, in Season 28.
Tom discussed his comeback in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and ripped the production team for numerous “unfair” adjustments they made to the show in recent years.
For one, the 70-year-old insisted that eliminating the results show, which was axed in 2013 when ABC phased out the second weekly episode as part of its significant format change, was a mistake.
“The ratings have proven it’s time to bring back the results show. I always mourned the loss of that Tuesday show,” Tom admitted, referencing when the performances used to air on Mondays, followed by the results reveal on Tuesdays.
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Now, the results are announced at the end of Tuesday’s two-hour episodes, giving viewers less time to vote on their favorites.
“I thought [the results show] made the voting more fair across the country, because the West Coast can’t vote now unless they’re watching on wherever the hell you’d watch it streamed live,” Tom pointed out.
“The results show was great. It was like a variety show with an elimination at the end. I think the ratings now would really speak to it being time to bring that back,” the TV personality added.
Fans reacted to Tom’s comments on social media, with many agreeing that a revival of the results show is way overdue.
“At the very, very least give us a 2-night finale again PLEASE,” one person wrote in a Reddit thread.
“I could see the results show being brought back before a spring season,” a second remarked.
“I miss the results show and would love to have it back! At the very least give us a two night finale,” echoed a third.
“Yes !! The results show gave the pros an opportunity to dance more and get creative, they had great musicians performing every week. Behind the scenes looks,” said a fourth.
“I miss the results shows so much! and the partner swap was always so interesting seeing how the celebrity would do with different partners,” another added.
Tom also confessed that he has no plans to return to hosting permanently, despite fans’ pleas for him to replace Alfonso Ribeiro in the role.
“No, I’m done. I’m done,” the America’s Funniest Home Videos host told the outlet. “They have a permanent host, and he’s really good. I have no desire to host anymore.”
Alfonso stepped in as co-host alongside Tyra Banks in 2022.
He now co-hosts with former DWTS pro and judge Julianne Hough.
Still, Tom is excited to get back on set, as he revealed on Good Morning America last week that he’s been “reminiscing” over the good times he had throughout the show’s first 28 seasons when he was the host.
He also revealed he’s eager to see performances from some of this season’s favorites, and judge contestant Andy Richter, after he and his partner, Emma Slater, repeatedly dodged elimination, despite consistently landing at the bottom of the leaderboard.
“He epitomizes what I always thought the show was at its best,” Tom said about the comedian.
Season 34 of DWTS continues on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. EST, on ABC and Disney+, with the remaining six contestants taking the stage, along with many past competitors as part of the big birthday bash.
The episode will also feature first-round dances to iconic freestyles from the last two decades, as well as an opportunity for contestants to perform competitive dances to earn bonus points.
RHOC cast member Tamra Judge has *officially* reunited with Vicki Gunvalson after their major fallout.
Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson have officially reunited and are “leaving the toxic behind.” The Real Housewives of Orange County cast member and RHOC alum had fallen out in their friendship in January 2024 (more on that down below), but have since reconciled with one another and are looking forward to their future as friends.
Tamra took to her Instagram account on Nov. 7, where she posted a video of her and Vicki to her feed. “Reunited…and leaving the toxic behind,” she wrote in the caption of the post. The next day, on Nov. 8, she took to Instagram where she posted three photos of herself and Vicki, standing in the kitchen, hugging each other.
“My friend, my soulmate, my sister,” she wrote in the caption of the post.
Vicki also took to her Instagram Story over the weekend, where she reposted the photos of her and Tamra. She also re-posted a photo of her and Tamra standing next to her podcast co-host, Christian Gray Snow.
Tamra Judge opens up about her “love-hate relationship” with Vicki Gunvalson
Tamra spoke with Us Weekly on Nov. 5, ahead of their reunion, where she confirmed that they have put their drama behind them and are now friends again. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in our 20 years. I always say, we’re like sisters,” Tamra said.
“It’s that love-hate relationship all the time,” she added. “I’m talking sisterly love. Like, you have little arguments. And then being on a show together, there’s always ups and downs — especially the type of show that we were on together.”
Vicki Gunvalson opens up about reunion with Tamra Judge after falling out
Vicki took to her podcast on Nov. 7, where she opened up about what led to her fallout with Tamra, and how that impacted their reunion. “Tamra and I never got in an issue or a fight,” she admitted, noting that she “hasn’t texted Tamra” in two years. “I just don’t like who she’s become.”
“And I don’t know if it’s the real Tamra, I don’t know if it’s the TV Tamra, when we say there’s two Tamras,” she continued. “I get very insecure and very jealous when she’s treating other people nice. So I said that very fast…we hugged it out.”
But, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Tres Amigas — which was the friend group comprised of Tamra, Vicki, and RHOC’s Shannon Storms Beador — will be getting back together. “I really don’t know what it means,” she admitted.
“I do know if I see her in a store, or we see each other at HomeGoods, because she shops at HomeGoods, I want to be able to say hi to her,” she noted.
Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson admit they “don’t care” what people think of their reunion
Both Tamra and Vicki told Us Weekly that they are unafraid of reactions to their reunion. “I’ve known Vicki longer than anybody, and I don’t think anybody should dictate who you can be friends with and can’t be friends with,” Tamra told the publication. “I think Vicki’s the same.”
“That’s why we met, because we don’t care what other people think,” Vicki added.
Why did Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson stop being friends?
Tamra and Vicki became friends with Tamra joined the cast of RHOC in Season 3. But, over the years, they have experienced their fair share of friendship breakups and make ups.
Most recently, Vicki and Tamra stopped being friends after Tamra took to X (formerly Twitter) on Jan. 6, 2024, where she posted a solo photo of herself and captioned it “Uno.” She also re-posted an Instagram Story of Shannon and Vicki going on tour without her that same day to X with the words “My friend, my soulmate, my sister, my ass” in the caption.
Tamra then accused Vicki and Shannon of not being loyal to their friendship. “There are some things they had said about me behind my back that got to me, and it didn’t sit well with me,” she told Entertainment Tonight later that month. “In 2024, I’m not going to be around toxic people that are, you know — if you’re my friend, be my friend. If I’m doing something or saying something you don’t like, come to me and tell me.”
But, she also didn’t rule out reuniting with them, either. “Listen, I never say never,” she concluded at the time.