Tom Bergeron Gave 'DWTS' These Conditions After They Extended An Olive Branch' For His Return

As Tom Bergeron is set to return as a guest judge on "Dancing With the Stars" for the show's 20th anniversary, he is revealing that there was more behind his decision. 

The original host, who presented the hit series for fifteen years, left in 2020 following a disagreement with the production team. His return, however, has sparked excitement among fans.

In a recent interview, the former "Good Morning America" anchor opened up about everything that led him back to the ballroom.

Ahead of his surprise comeback on ABC's series, the former "Hollywood Squares" moderator expressed his excitement, but made it clear it was not inspired by the show turning 20. 

In fact, he revealed that it had come from the change in administration. "If the previous regime was still in charge of the show, I wouldn't go back," Bergeron candidly told The Hollywood Reporter, explaining that executive producer Conrad Green, who helped launch the show, returned and "extended an olive branch" to him.

Bergeron added that the decision for him to reappear was a combination of both his idea and Green's. Green first invited him to the 500th episode, but the 70-year-old TV star declined, joking he'd be "too restless just watching."

Instead, he proposed returning as a guest judge and laid out what he wanted in return. "Look, I'll charge you a scale, just union scale, and then you make a nice contribution to the Motion Picture and Television Fund," Bergeron explained of his conditions, which were happily met. 

He then praised Green's leadership for reviving the show, noting its impressive ratings comeback, saying its renewed success is as rare as "a zebra playing the piano."

During the chat, Bergeron was asked about his feelings after his departure, even though he wanted to stay, and he admitted he was angry and felt deceived. 

"It pissed me off," Bergeron confessed. "I'll be honest with you. I did not like the showrunner. He knew that. I didn't like being lied to, and he did that. So when he got fired, I think when Twitter was still a thing, I posted, 'Karma is a b-tch.'

However, the comedian disclosed that he is now happy with the new leadership, emphasizing that he wouldn't have returned if it were in the hands of other people. 

Bergeron's chat did not go without him revisiting the controversy surrounding his exit. When asked if he was surprised that there has been no casting of political figures since season 28, given his past disagreements with the showrunners, he said he was pleased.

He recalled the social media claims after his dismissal, blaming him for politicizing the show, which he found ironic. Bergeron stressed that he actively tried to keep politics out of the show, avoiding mentions of parties or figures in his exit statement.

"I even said to Sean, 'If they had cast Hillary Clinton - I voted for her, I don't want her on the show. We're on the cusp of an election year, in 2019,'" he said, noting that this casting decision became the final straw after he had been assured politicians wouldn't appear.

As for whether his stance on keeping politics out had changed, the media personality affirmed he's even more committed now, as he believes the program should be an escape from real-world conflicts.

Bergeron's interview comes a week after it was announced that he would appear on the panel of judges for the upcoming anniversary episode.

The Blast reported that the TV personality expressed excitement about returning, and many fans shared that enthusiasm. Many took to social media to gush over the news, calling it a major event.

One fan wrote, "The most important thing to happen for the anniversary!!! I miss Tom!!" Another fan compared it to "Obama was coming back to the white house for a week."

As he prepares for his comeback, Bergeron has been candid about why he left in the first place. In a 2023 interview covered by The Blast, he revealed that his departure stemmed from a casting decision that felt like a betrayal.

In 2019, Bergeron met with showrunners and agreed on a cast that would "offer an escape" from the divisiveness of the upcoming 2020 election.

He was blindsided, however, when Sean Spicer, former press secretary to Donald Trump, was announced as a contestant.

Bergeron told the producers they were free to make their own decisions, but he felt the move signaled it was time for him to step away.