The 68-year-old left the reality series in 2020 after being openly critical the casting of Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in the show’s 28th season. Find out all the details in this video.
00:00Former Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron is not holding back when opening up about being fired from the ABC reality competition series.
00:08The 68-year-old left the series in 2020 after being openly critical of the casting of Donald Trump's White House press secretary Sean Spicer in the show's 28th season.
00:18Speaking with the Sex, Lies and Spray Tans podcast, Bergeron detailed the bitter split after hosting the hit show for 15 years.
00:26Bergeron says he had just signed a new contract for three seasons and during pre-production for that season had urged them not to cast any political figures due to the pending presidential election and the increasingly divisive climate.
00:39He says the producer seemingly enthusiastically agreed, but then a few weeks later he got a phone call from two producers giving him a heads up that Spicer was being cast anyway.
00:48I said, guys, this is exactly what we said we wouldn't do, and I would have responded the same way if they had booked Hillary Clinton, whom I voted for.
00:55Don't go there. This is not the right time. Play to our strengths. Be the show that gives people a break from all this bullshit. So I was furious.
01:03Bergeron says he offered to take the season off, so producers countered by offering to let him out of his contract entirely.
01:09It really pissed me off. My temper kicked in. I was at least going to let people know that they f***ing lied to me.
01:15Bergeron took to Twitter in August of 2019 and let his frustration over the casting be known.
01:21Bergeron nonetheless hosted the show for the season, with Spicer being voted out after eight weeks of mocking from social media and the show's judges.
01:29But he says he knew this is probably my last season because of that one betrayal.
01:33My lawyer had said to me, it's really well written, but you're putting a bullseye on your back.
01:37In July, Bergeron announced that he was leaving Dancing with the Stars and co-host Aaron Andrews departed the show as well.
01:43America's next top model, creator and host Tyra Banks was announced as the show's new host, before leaving earlier this year with Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough taking over for season 32.
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