Erin Andrews Breaks Her Silence on Her and Tom Bergeron’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Exit

Just a day after the surprising announcement that she and Tom Bergeron are exiting Dancing With the Stars as the ABC dancing competition moves in a “new creative direction,” Erin Andrews has broken her silence. Andrews, who has been a co-host of the reality dance competition since 2014, spoke out in a tweet on Tuesday.

In her post, Andrews thanked the network and the “Dancing with the Stars family for 6 memorable seasons.” She said that those six years “wouldn’t have been as special without my loving host Tom Bergeron,” who is also exiting the series, as well as “the talented dancers and witty judges.” Despite the abrupt shake-up, Andrews concluded her message by writing that she will “always cherish my days on that set, even if I wasn’t the best at walking in heels.”

Andrews’ statement comes after fans of the long-running ABC series were left shocked when Bergeron, who has hosted DWTS for 15 years, announced that he would not be returning for the upcoming 29th season. Not long after, ABC and BBC Studios, in a joint statement, confirmed that Andrews would also be departing the series.

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

Best known for her career covering the NFL and MLB for ESPN and Fox Sports, Andrews joined DWTS in 2014 as Bergeron’s fourth different co-host. Bergeron had initially hosted alongside Lisa Canning, who only appeared in the first season. Samantha Harris co-hosted from Seasons 2 to 9, before Brooke-Charvet took over as Andrews’ predecessor. Andrews previously competed alongside pro partner Maks Chmerkovskiy during Season 10 in 2010 ahead of her co-hosting gig.

Although it does not yet have a specific premiere date, Dancing With the Stars Season 29 is expected to return this fall “with the health regulations in place” due to the coronavirus pandemic. ABC has not yet announced who will be taking over the positions previously held by Andrews and Bergeron, though there are already plenty of thoughts as to who the replacements could be.