Explaining herself. Cheryl BurkeShe wanted to be a doctor. Tom BergeronReturn to Dancing With the Stars, but that doesn’t mean that she wants Tyra BanksTo get fired.
“I respect her very much,” the dancer, 38, said on the Tuesday, September 6, episode of “Burke in the Game” podcast. “I want to be clear that when I say I would love Tom Bergeron to come back on the show, that doesn’t entail necessarily that Tyra has to be fired or I don’t want Tyra there.”
Bergeron, aged 67, was fired DWTSIn July 2020, along with Erin Andrews. He said that he was shocked by the sudden announcement that Banks (48) would be taking over hosting duties for season 29.
While Burke hopes to see Bergeron back on the show, she doesn’t have any ill will toward the America’s Next Top Model host. She made remarks in August about seeing what new elements of the Disney+ competition series would “survive,” and Burke believes her opinion was “taken out of context,” explaining she was referring to all newcomers — not just Banks.
In August, she made the original comments during an interview on YouTube with Allison Kugel. “It is great to see the show evolve, and I think it’s very important, whether or not Tom Bergeron comes back, I think it’s important that we see these changes to the show,” the choreographer said at the time. “I think there is a comfort [in] knowing that the show’s foundation is still there, but it is nice to throw in some newbies. Whether they survive is another question.”
She clarified the matter further on her podcast. “I was mentioning any new dancer, any new producer, any new hair and makeup person that decides to join Dancing With the Stars,” Burke explained. “They will have, probably, challenges along the way. I didn’t mean if Tyra [in particular] will survive.”
She went on to rave about the Coyote Ugly star’s “growth” after two seasons, but she added that she would still “love for [Bergeron] to come back.”
“I think it would be so amazing,” Burke said. “It doesn’t mean that I want Tyra out. People just need to stop it.”
The upcoming season will feature Banks as a partner. The show confirmed that in July. Alfonso RiberioThey will cohost.
Dancing With the StarsSeason 31 premieres September 19th on Disney+
