It was only just announced that Dancing With the Stars would be moving forward without its two popular hosts, Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews. But it seems as if the series had been thinking about the move for quite some time. That's because the show already announced a replacement — Tyra Banks.
Tyra Banks isn't new to television. The former model is known best for hosting America's Next Top Model. She was so good at the job that she was hired back on after retiring. The show tried to break new ground with Rita Ora as host. But reality show fans knew the show wasn't the same without Tyra in the driver's seat.
Tyra also has experience as a talk show host. Her show, The Tyra Banks Show, ran for five seasons before ending in 2010. But that's not all. The star was also brought in to host America's Got Talent from 2017 to 2018. So she's got quite the résumé.
While Tyra is a welcome addition, it's still sad to think that Tom and Erin may have been blindsided by the news.
"I've been a fan of 'DWTS' since its beginning," Tyra said in a press release, per CNN. "The fun mixed with raw emotion, seeing celebrities push past their comfort zones, the sizzling dance performances … it's always transported me to my days of turning it up 10 notches on the catwalk."
She also paid tribute to Tom, who had been the host of the show since it debuted in 2005. "Tom has set a powerful stage, and I'm excited to continue the legacy and put on my executive producer and hosting hats," she said. Both ABC and the BBC were responsible for Tom's ousting.
At the time, producers said they wanted the show to go in a new "creative direction." Erin, who had been with the show since 2014, was also cut during this decision. Regardless, she tweeted that she was thankful for the opportunity. Fans of the show aren't all that certain how the series will fully return, given the circumstances that the world is in.
While many celebrities have been filming their shows at home, the same can't be said for Dancing With the Stars. Despite this big obstacle, producers are still hoping to debut the show's new season this fall. Tyra likely knows how the show will be handled — she was more than enthusiastic while talking about it with Entertainment Tonight.
"It is gonna be so next level," she said. "I am having meetings with the producer that I walked in to join, Andrew Llinares, and … he's like, 'Tyra, you just don't know. It's gonna be next level,'" she said. "We're doing all this crazy stuff, taking to the next level, but still keeping the stuff that we know America loves. But you need to get ready, 'cause it’s gonna be different."
Tyra will be the first solo host of the show. While Tom was a big factor from the very beginning, his cohosts came and went throughout the years. Lisa Canning, Samantha Harris, and Brooke Burke-Charvet all cohosted at some point.
But Tyra can definitely handle things on her own. And she's a big fan of live television. "You never know what happens on live TV," she told Entertainment Tonight. "Like right now, my phone literally just rang and I was like, 'Oh my God, I'm about to be on live TV.' So [I'm] excited about all of that."
Being the first is something that Tyra Banks is good at. She's known as the first Black woman to land a cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. "I like breaking those doors down, so that we don't have anymore firsts," she said. "But it's nice to be first, right? So you can open that door and let so many people in after you. I'm excited!"
Tyra even joked about her "smize" — a word that was popularized on America's Next Top Model. A fan of new vocabulary, Tyra describes a smize as a smile with your eyes. "We need to see who's going to be able to whip and size," she joked.
She was a little tight-lipped on the rumors that Dr. Anthony Fauci would join the show. Right now might not be the best time for the beloved health expert. "I don't know if he would do this right now," she said. "But I can imagine, once we have our cure, once we have our vaccine, I don't know, he might have to come on and do a little cha-cha-cha to celebrate."
According to WCCQ, producers definitely approached the doctor about his possible participation. Dr. Fauci, who is currently 79 years old, was reportedly flattered by the invitation. However, he doesn't have time in his schedule to participate — which, professionally, is the right answer.
Tom Bergeron had his own great response to the news of Tyra's hiring. "I guess I won't be getting back my monogrammed towels," he wrote on Twitter. Fans applauded him for being a class act — with some even insinuating that the networks made the wrong call.
No matter what, it'll be interesting to see who gets chosen for this season of the show — and how the show will move forward when dancing isn't the most socially acceptable activity at the moment. Obviously, the safe and health of the contestants is a top priority.
But likely, fans will tune in just to see if Tyra brings more energy to the show. If you've watched America's Next Top Model, you're fully aware that Tyra has gone to extreme lengths in order to entertain. Having her back in television is bound to make this year a little brighter.
