Kaitlyn Bristowe Defends Tyra Banks Amid 'DWTS' Backlash

“America’s Next Top Model” host Tyra Banksand “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor Alfonso Ribeiro are currently co-hosting the new season of “Dancing with the Stars”.

Over the last few seasons, fans of the reality competition show were not happy with the way Tyra Banks hosted, so when the show announced Ribeiro would be joining Banks, they were relieved. However, Banks is still getting plenty of air time, and fans are not happy about her continuous mistakes.

Fans have not held back their opinions on the host, but Kaitlyn Bristowe, a former "Dancing With the Stars" champion, is defending Tyra Banks.

After she was done handing out roses on “The Bachelorette,” Kaitlyn Bristowe went onto ABC’s reality competition show, “Dancing With the Stars.” The 37-year-old took home the Mirror Ball trophy with her partner, Artem Chigvintsev during Season 29, which occurred in 2020.

While she was on the show, she formed a great connection with many of the "Dancing With the Stars" staff, including host Tyra Banks.

Amid the backlash the current host is receiving, Bristowe is in her corner. "I have a really soft spot for Tyra [Banks]," Bristowe told Pop Culture. "She is such a good person. She would call us individually and check in on us every week and see how we were doing and how we were feeling and I know that was really important to her and people don't see that or hear about that."

She continued, "I don't know why people are so hard on her, but I think people don't like change and that franchise has had Tom [Bergeron] and Erin [Andrews] for so long and I think they were not so comfortable with the same thing that they were used to on their TV screens."

"People are just so quick to jump on what they don't like and what they aren't used to and it's so unfortunate," Bristowe concluded.

Although Bristowe admitted she is rooting for everyone on this season of “Dancing With the Stars”, there were a select few she mentioned by name in a recent interview, including her fellow “Bachelor” alum Gabby Windey.

“When I reached out, I was like, ‘I’m so excited for you. I’m here for you if you need anything — if you need advice, if you need a foot rub.’,” Bristowe told US. “I gave her all my advice and she said that she’s got some big shoes to fill and she is doing just fine,” the season 11 lead said. “She’s doing incredible. I know how busy [it gets] and how many hours go into that, so I have tried to reach out a couple times and be like, ‘Do you need anything?’ But I know she’s so busy. There’s so many people on the season I feel like I’m rooting for. It’s just packed with talent and inspiring people.”

Bristowe also named country music singer Jessie James Decker, who she recently had on her podcast — “Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe" -- and “CODA” actor Daniel Durant.