The 'World of Dance' judge says he was 'pretty shocked' to see Tom Bergeron go.
Derek Hough will always root for Dancing With the Stars' success. During his Tuesday appearance on SiriusXM's Bevelations, Hough spoke with Bevy Smith about Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews' sudden departure from DWTS. The hosts were let go from the series earlier this month, with Tyra Banks announced as the new host.
"My initial reaction -- I guess I was pretty shocked. Tom Bergeron is such a staple of Dancing With the Stars, and he's a good friend of mine. We're friends, and he's a good man and he's been there since the beginning, and he's just a great guy," Hough shared. "But you also understand that we're in the entertainment industry, nothing is certain, and there's always these efforts to reinvigorate and switch things up. So, you look at that and go, that's also understandable, I think."
Hough was a pro for 17 seasons on Dancing With the Stars -- and won six times. The Emmy winner, who is now a judge on World of Dance, expressed his support for Banks.
"To be honest, Tyra Banks, I actually... I think she's fantastic. I thought she was a fantastic host on America's Got Talent. I thought she did an amazing job. So, I feel optimistic for that switch-up," he said. "I think she'll be fantastic. But as far as my history and my friendship, I was definitely shocked about Tom Bergeron, for sure."
"For me, I'm always sort of a cheerleader for shows to succeed. For me, especially for shows I've been a part of, that I love and I hold dear to my heart, I want Dancing With the Stars to succeed and do well, so I hope it does," he added. "We'll see what happens."
On The Talk earlier this month, DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba said she cried over the show's big shake-up.
"I feel like it was just such sudden news," she shared. "My heart breaks for Tom and Erin."
As for whether Inaba will return to judge the reality competition with Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli, she said, "as of now, that is the plan."
"That is the plan, that we’re coming back. But they’re going to make the official announcement in a few weeks. They're just going to keep letting us know all the details," she revealed. "I don’t want people to worry. It seems like everything is OK."
See more on DWTS in the video below.
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