‘DWTS’: Britt Stewart Shares Support for Tyra Banks Amid Hosting Backlash (Exclusive)

Season 29 of Dancing With the Stars officially came to an end on Nov. 23, with Bachelorette alum Kaitlyn Bristowe beating out Catfish star Nev Schulman to take home the win. Even though the season concluded, some viewers still took time to criticize how host Tyra Banks fared during her first season at the helm, with a small legion of those individuals calling for the return of Tom Bergeron. During an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Dancing With the Stars pro Britt Stewart opened up about the hosting drama and shared her support for Banks in the process.

This past July, Bergeron stunned fans when he announced that ABC fired him from DWTS after hosting the series since the inaugural episode. It was later announced that his co-host, Erin Andrews, had been fired, as well. ABC then revealed that Banks would be taking over hosting duties. However, some fans weren’t exactly pleased about this change. Those particular viewers made their opinions heard throughout Season 29 of DWTS by taking to social media to share how much they want Bergeron back. While Banks, unfortunately, dealt with a ton of negativity throughout her turn as DWTS‘ host, Stewart told PopCulture.com exclusively after the finale that the supermodel handled all of the criticism with grace and aplomb.

“You know, I really like Tyra. She’s a really awesome woman. She goes out of her way to stay connected with us. She personally called all the celebrities, she called us before the season, throughout the season just to check in,” Stewart shared. “So, I know that she really cares about being on the show and doing a great job. I think sometimes, that goes unnoticed.” The professional dancer, who competed with figure skater Johnny Weir during the season, went on to say that she knows that many missed Bergeron, as he had been the face of the show for so long. But, Stewart added that Banks succeeded in her role as the DWTS this season, and she did so in her own, unique way.

“Tom Bergeron, he’s been there or he had been there since Season 1. And so he was someone that people identified Dancing With the Stars with. So, Tyra had really big shoes to fill,” Stewart continued. “And sometimes I feel kind of bad because people gave her a really hard time, and she’s just trying to bring in… her twist on what hosting Dancing With the Stars looks like to her, and that’s going to be different from Tom’s. I think she held in there like a champ. I think she had a lot of negativity coming at her the whole season. And I think she kept her head up high and continued on.” To stay up-to-date on everything related to DWTS, Stewart, and Banks, stay tuned to PopCulture.com