Why Tom Bergeron said yes now
Tom Bergeron returns to Dancing With the Stars for the Nov. 11, 2025, 20th anniversary episode as a guest judge, his first time back since his July 2020 exit during season 29. He credits showrunner Conrad Green’s return and the show’s “resurgence” for his decision, saying, “It was really because Conrad’s there … They’ve been on a ratings tear.”
What he says about the 2020 firing
DWTS turns 20 on November 11, 2025, and the ballroom is welcoming back the person who shepherded its live-TV chaos for 28 seasons: Tom Bergeron. The former host—who exited in July 2020 just before season 29—will appear as a guest judge for the milestone “20th birthday” episode in season 34. He’s candid about why he left, what changed, and the sole reason he said yes to a one-night homecoming.
What happened in 2020—and what’s different now
Bergeron didn’t sugarcoat the end of his run. Asked to reflect on his dismissal, he said the 2020 decision “pissed me off,” adding, “I did not like the showrunner. He knew that. I didn’t like being lied to, and he did that. So when he got fired, I think when Twitter was still a thing, I posted, ‘Karma is a b–ch.’” The flashpoint he cites remains familiar to fans: the casting of former White House press secretary Sean Spicer in season 28, which Bergeron had warned against during an election year. He recalled telling producers, “Don’t go there—just make us the wonderful escape from all that divisiveness for two hours a week.”
Five years later, he agreed to come back for one reason: showrunner Conrad Green. “It was really because Conrad’s there, and you can tell. Just look at what the show is doing. It’s having a resurgence… They’ve been on a ratings tear.” Bergeron also cracked that “You’re more likely to see a zebra playing the piano than watch the success they’re having,” underscoring how unusual that kind of late-series momentum is for a 20-year-old franchise.
That condition—Green at the helm—was non-negotiable. As Bergeron put it, if “the previous regime” were still in charge, the invitation would have been declined, regardless of the show’s milestone.
How the Nov. 11 homecoming will work
Bergeron returns as a guest judge—not as host—alongside the current leadership and on-air team for season 34’s 20th anniversary party. That framing matters. He gets the thrill of live television “happy place” energy without the logistical pressures that defined his hosting tenure, while the show benefits from the nostalgia jolt of its most recognizable steward.
Brooke Burke says no to a redo—why she isn’t joining the party
Another familiar face won’t be part of the festivities: Brooke Burke. The season 7 mirrorball champion (with Derek Hough) and cohost for seasons 10–17 explained her decision on Jennie Garth’s I Choose Me podcast on November 4. “I never say no just to never close doors, professionally, but that was eight seasons and I did everything I needed to do in the ballroom,” Burke said. “A redo is hard for me. I feel like I wrung it out and did everything I needed to do on that show.”
Burke—now 54—still speaks warmly about the experience: “It was a silly reality competition but it was so much more than that for me because you face your fears, you get out of your comfort zone… I like to do scary things. Training like an athlete, learning how to think like an athlete.” Hosting after winning also changed her vantage point: “It allowed me to be a much more colorful and competent host because I knew both sides of it.”
Why Bergeron’s return matters to DWTS in season 34
There’s the obvious nostalgia factor: a foundational voice returning for one celebratory night. But Bergeron’s remarks also underline a creative reset. He credits Conrad Green—DWTS’s original showrunner, who departed after season 27 and returned for season 31—with “righting the ship,” a vote of confidence that doubles as a public endorsement of the show’s current direction. For longtime viewers, that’s a signal that the ballroom is, culturally and tonally, closer to the version they remember.
And for contestants and pros, a guest judge with Bergeron’s institutional memory is a rare live-TV variable: he has seen the format at its most polished and its most precarious. The appearance is a handshake between eras, a wink to day-one fans, and a pressure test for a show that has indeed been on “a ratings tear.”
Cast & creatives referenced in the sources (season 34 & franchise alumni)
Every proper noun referenced across the cited reporting appears below for clarity and searchability.
- Tom Bergeron — original host (2005–2019); guest judge on Nov. 11, 2025.
- Conrad Green — original showrunner; returned to helm recent seasons.
- Sean Spicer — season 28 contestant referenced in Bergeron’s 2019 dispute.
- Brooke Burke — season 7 champion with Derek Hough; cohost seasons 10–17; declined anniversary return.
- Jennie Garth — host of the I Choose Me podcast, where Burke discussed her decision (Nov. 4).
- Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough — current cohosts referenced in E!’s season 34 context.
Season 34 contestants named in the sources
The E! News reporting that includes Burke’s interview also lists the current season 34 field; the names below are included verbatim as referenced in that source.
- Baron Davis — partnered with Britt Stewart.
- Jennifer Affleck — partnered with Jan Ravnik.
- Alix Earle — partnered with Valentin Chmerkovski.
- Dylan Efron — partnered with Daniella Karagach.
- Corey Feldman — partnered with Jenna Johnson.
- Elaine Hendrix — partnered with Alan Bersten.
- Robert Irwin — partnered with Witney Carson.
- Jordan Chiles — partnered with Ezra Sosa.
- Scott Hoying — partnered with Rylee Arnold.
- Whitney Leavitt — partnered with Mark Ballas.
- Hilaria Baldwin — partnered with Gleb Savchenko.
- Andy Richter — partnered with Emma Slater.
- Danielle Fishel — partnered with Pasha Pashkov.
What Bergeron’s one-night return signals
Bergeron’s language is plainspoken and pointed. He draws a bright line between the “previous regime” and the current team under Conrad Green, framing Nov. 11 less as closure and more as a vote of confidence in the show’s present. That posture matters beyond the nostalgia: it gives DWTS a kind of brand audit from the person most associated with its voice, and it does so on a night designed to celebrate continuity and longevity.
Burke’s “redo is hard for me” stance also fits an anniversary logic. Not every legacy face should return for a celebration to be meaningful; some contributions are better honored at a distance. Her podcast explanation—balanced with sincere affection for the show’s impact—keeps the focus on the current season while acknowledging what viewers loved about her run.
DWTS at 20: the headline and the heartbeat
Bergeron’s guest-judge cameo reactivates the show’s earliest DNA for one night while affirming that the ballroom belongs to its current artists and producers. “It was really because Conrad’s there,” he said—an anniversary gift with a message: success is sweetest when the culture behind the curtain feels right.
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