‘Dancing With The Stars’ Producer Andrew Llinares Explains Why Tom Bergeron And Erin Andrews Were Replaced

Dancing With The Stars producer Andrew Llinares has explained why popular hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews were let go, Us Weekly reported. Specifically, he told a group of reporters that the program “needed to evolve.”

As reported at the time by The Inquisitr, it was announced in July that Bergeron, who had hosted the competition since the first episode, and Andrews, who came on as his co-host in Season 18, were being let go.

Further, the insanely popular ABC reality competition series ditched the two-host format in favor of one single host, Tyra Banks.

The change went over exceptionally poorly with many fans. Further, Banks’ first season as host has been met with its share of controversies, such as when fans took her to task for a series of “awkward” mistakes during the early episodes of the ongoing 29th season, as the Daily Mail reported.

Growing pains aside, Llinares is sticking by the decisions he and his team have made regarding the future of the program.

On Wednesday, ABC hosted for its VirtuFall Panel, a town hall of sorts where stars and producers of the network’s programs showcase their product to reporters in advance of the upcoming traditional fall TV season. This year, the event is being held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As it seemed, the personnel changes at DWTS were on everyone’s mind. During the event, Llinares said that he made the right decision in shaking things up in order to keep the show from becoming stale.

“I think it’s all about evolution. I think any show like this that has been on many, many seasons needs to continue to evolve,” he said.

He also noted that although DWTS has a loyal audience, making changes at the hosting level could bring in even more viewers.

“I think changing the host was all about evolution, it was about making the show feel fresh, making it feel new… maybe to a new audience as well, as well as the audience that’s been there for years.”

In addition, he came to the defense of Banks, in the context of both having a single host as opposed to two and through the lens of her growth as the glue that holds the competition together.

“Tyra is doing an amazing, amazing job. It’s just so wonderful to have her energy in the ballroom and her expertise as a host in the ballroom. I think I think she’s brought a new life to everything. It’s really exciting,” he said.