Derek Hough Reacts to Tom Bergeron’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Firing

As fans are well aware, Dancing With the Stars announced a major shake-up for the next season. After fifteen years with the show, host Tom Bergeron was fired from DWTS. His co-host, Erin Andrews, was also fired as a result of a new “creative direction” that the show is going in. In light of these changes, Derek Hough, who was previously one of the professional dancers on the show, expressed his thoughts about Bergeron being fired.

As for his initial reaction to the news, Hough said on SiriusXM’s Bevelations that he was “shocked” to hear that Bergeron was fired. “Tom Bergeron is such a staple on Dancing With the Stars, and he’s a good friend of mine. He’s just a good man,” Hough said, per Just Jared. “He’s been there since the beginning. He’s just a great guy, [but] you also understand that in the entertainment industry nothing is certain. There’s always those efforts to reinvigorate and switch things up, so you look at that and it’s also understandable.”

Bergeron and Andrews will be replaced by Tyra Banks for Season 29 of DWTS. She will also serve as one of the show’s executive producers. During his appearance on Bevelations, Hough also reacted to this casting news, and he had nothing but kind things to say about the former America’s Next Top Model host. “You know, Tyra Banks, I’ve come in contact with her several times and I think she’s fantastic,” he shared. “I thought she was a fantastic host on America’s Got Talent. I thought she did an amazing job.”

Bergeron himself was the one to break the news about his firing. On July 13, he tweeted that he just learned that his time on DWTS would be coming to an end. In his post, he reflected on his time with the show, writing, in part, “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.” Shortly after he posted that message, ABC released a statement to TV Line in which they shared that the decision to part ways with Bergeron and Andrews is part of the show’s new “creative direction.”

“Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family,” their statement read. “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.”