Erin Andrews Shares Reaction To ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Firing And Tyra Banks Casting

Erin Andrews described her exit from Dancing with the Stars as a “surprise.” During a September 1 interview with Extra, she echoed the reaction of fans of the series who were shocked to learn that she and her co-host, Tom Bergeron, were being replaced.

The sportscaster said she was informed of her firing via phone. Even though she wasn’t expecting to be let go, she immediately knew the conversation wasn’t going to be a happy one.

“I got a phone call and I answered the phone. I was like, ‘This isn’t good,'” Erin recalled.

While Erin will no longer get to hang out in the ABC ballroom with her former colleagues on a weekly basis, she has been keeping in touch with many of them. They include professional dancer Sasha Farber and Tom, who she has been texting with once a week. As reported by The Inquisitr, her former co-host’s social media posts are often flooded with messages from upset DWTS fans letting him know the competition just won’t be the same without him. Erin seemed to share this sentiment when she described him as “her ballroom quarterback” and the “end all, be all” of the popular reality competition.

Luckily, Erin has a few other projects lined up to keep her busy, including her new women’s clothing line WEAR. Another big gig will involve spending time around an actual quarterback who shares his first name with her DWTS quarterback. She revealed she’s looking forward to watching Tom Brady play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers later this month when she heads back to work for Fox NFL.

Erin’s football knowledge was often put to use on DWTS when she interviewed the numerous NFL players who competed on the series over the years. While her link to the sports world came in handy, she pointed out the new solo host of Dancing with the Stars, Tyra Banks, also has a connection to an industry unrelated to dancing that will benefit her. She explained how the supermodel’s work in the fashion world has prepared her for her new role.

“She can nail the smizing and the walking in gowns and heels, so good for her,” Erin said.

Tyra has already teased that she plans on bringing a lot more fashion to the dance competition. The America’s Next Top Model creator is also executive producing the show, so she’ll have plenty of say in its new creative direction.

Erin joked that what she brought to the ballroom was “a lot of awkwardness.” She also mentioned her difficulty with navigating the show’s set in fancy footwear in a statement that she shared on Twitter. Soon after the news of her firing broke, she wrote that she “will always cherish my days on that set, even if I wasn’t the best at walking in heels.”