Tom Bergeron Tests Positive for COVID-19

Tom Bergeron got a nasty surprise amid all of the shifts at his former employer, Dancing With the Stars. The former host made it clear that he was not part of any surprise and wasn’t returning, but he also ended up having to share that he managed to catch COVID after avoiding it for two years.

“Well, I dodged it for over two years but it finally caught up with me. And I thought I was stubborn,” Bergeron captioned a photo of his positive COVID test on Thursday. This didn’t stop him from taking a moment to celebrate former Dancing With the Stars contestant Alfonso Ribeiro joining the show as the new co-host.

“Now, getting Conrad Green back as DWTS showrunner is only ONE of their smartest decisions. Here’s the other one,” Bergeron wrote in the caption for photos of himself and Ribeiro. “Congratulations, buddy!” The new co-host also got a nod from Bergeron’s former co-host, Erin Andrews, who also agreed about the return of Green.

Bergeron and Andrews were both let go from the series out of the blue, replaced by Tyra Banks for two seasons of the show so far. Fans have been quite upset over the hosting change, with Banks receiving a lot of heat for issues with the show and the decision to move from ABC to Disney+ for live streaming.

Ribeiro responded to Bergeron in the comments, offering some graciousness in return to his predecessor. “I just hope I can make you proud,” the Fresh Prince star said. Ribeiro was the winner of season 19 of DWTS and actually replaced Bergeron earlier in their career on America’s Funniest Home Videos.

With these connections, some likely thought Bergeron could be returning from exile to host the show once again alongside Ribeiro. Not so, according to the former host who quickly nipped those ideas in the bud. “Nope. Sorry,” Bergeron told a fan in response to a post teasing his return. A far shorter message than his final comment to fans after learning about his exit.

“Just informed [Dancing With the Stars] will be continuing without me,” Bergeron said 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?”