Tyra Banks to Be Fired From 'Dancing With the Stars,' Report Claims
Tyra Banks is not expected to return as host for Dancing With the Stars, a source told The Sun Wednesday. Banks' two-season run has been controversial since vocal fans have never warmed up to her as the replacement for Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews. Her departure comes as the show is shifting from ABC to Disney+ for Season 31. Disney+ has not said who will host the first season on the streamer yet.
"There is no official decision on who will be hosting next season, but it doesn't look like Tyra will be back," The Sun's source said. This "would be a network decision, not her decision," the source claimed. The insider went on to say Banks "just didn't fit in" at DWTS.
"I wouldn't say it's Tyra's fault the show got dropped by the network," the source said. "I mean, that certainly didn't help, but she came in and did the job she was hired to do. The problem is, she just didn't fit in. She didn't fit in with producers, and she didn't fit with the audience, and it showed."
The source also described the Season 30 production as a "mess, with no clear direction" for the series. "The mix of the behind-the-scenes chaos and the historically low ratings ultimately was the nail in the coffin," the source claimed. "ABC didn't feel it was worth the investment anymore but didn't want to drop it as a whole."
Last week, Disney and ABC announced plans to remove DWTS from ABC's Monday 8 p.m. ET timeslot for the first time in the show's history. Instead, it will stream live on Disney+, making it the first live U.S. reality series on a streaming platform. "The show's broad appeal, as well as the overwhelming popularity of its Disney-themed competition nights, make Disney+ the perfect home for Dancing With the Stars while continuing to expand our demographic reach," Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, said. As part of the move, DWTS was renewed for Seasons 31 and 32.
Although Season 30 did see low ratings, the NFL played a role in the decision to move the show to streaming. ESPN's Monday Night Football contract includes an additional game for ABC in 2022, notes Deadline. The Disney+ move for DWTS will free up the Monday 8 p.m. timeslot for MNF. Fall 2022 will be the first time in 16 years ABC will not have DWTS on the lineup.
DWTS launched in 2005 with Bergeron as host. He was paired with co-hosts during his entire run, beginning with Lisa Canning in Season 1. Samantha Harris, Brooke Burke-Charvet, and Andrews also served as Bergeron's co-hosts. When Banks was hired for Season 29, the producers did not pair her with a co-host. Bergeron's most ardent fans continued complaining about Banks throughout her two seasons and jumped on every mistake she made. Her most noteworthy mistake came in October 2020 when she announced the wrong couples in the bottom two. Everyone involved in the show came to her defense, and she was invited back for Season 30.