A Grand Return to the Ballroom: Tom Bergeron Back on Dancing with the Stars

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A Grand Return to the Ballroom: Tom Bergeron Back on Dancing with the Stars.

Tom Bergeron

When Tom Bergeron steps back into the smoky-mirror-ball-lit ballroom of Dancing with the Stars on November 11, 2025, it will mark more than just another appearance. It will be a full-on homecoming for the man who helped make the show a household name. Bergeron will return not as host, but as a guest judge for the show’s special 20th-anniversary episode, sitting alongside the familiar judging panel of Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.

Three hosts standing on a stage, smiling and applauding.

Bergeron first joined Dancing with the Stars at its very inception in 2005, serving as the show’s host for a long stretch, roughly until late 2019 or into early 2020, spanning 28 seasons and more than 400 episodes. In that time, he became synonymous with the show’s mix of glitz, emotion, and dance-floor magic, guiding contestants, pros, and viewers alike through the ups and downs of the competition.

Person relaxing on a couch in the Dancing with the Stars studio.

 

His departure in 2020

His departure in 2020 (alongside co-host Erin Andrews) made headlines. Bergeron has been candid about his exit He said that “the show that I left was not the show that I loved.†At the heart of the controversy was his vocal discomfort with the show’s casting of a political figure, Sean Spicer, during the lead-up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Bergeron framed the move as a betrayal of what the show should represent, a place of escape and joy rather than politics. He has acknowledged that his public criticism and refusal to keep silent played a role in how things unfolded behind the scenes.

Fast-forward to late 2025. The show is celebrating two decades of dazzling dancers, glittering gowns, and the unforgettable “cha-cha-cha†soundtrack. With the return of original showrunner Conrad Green, the mood behind the curtains is reported to be more positive, more respectful of the show’s roots. Bergeron says Green extended an “olive branch,†prompting him to consider a comeback, but on his own terms: “just scale pay, one night, guest judge, donation to the Motion Picture & Television Fund,†he said.

Person relaxing on a couch in the Dancing with the Stars studio.

 

This return

What this return means is layered. For longtime fans, seeing Bergeron in the ballroom again conjures nostalgia, a reminder of the early seasons when the show was fresh and the host felt like part of the family. His return bridges past and present: he won’t replace current hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, but he’ll join the judges’ table and remind viewers that the show has history and heart.

Person relaxing on a couch in the Dancing with the Stars studio.

 

For the show itself, the move signals confidence, inviting back a veteran could boost ratings, stir excitement, and reaffirm that Dancing with the Stars still respects its legacy while forging ahead. Bergeron spoke of watching the current season and noting a “ratings resurgence,†saying he believed the show had found its essence again.

As the episode approaches, fans are buzzing. On social media forums, they write things like:

“I’m almost positive it’s going to be Tom! … He was a staple on my TV screen growing up.â€

In short, November 11 is more than a date. It’s a reunion. Bergeron isn’t reclaiming a chair behind the microphone, but he’s stepping back into the spotlight for one night of celebration, connection, and dance. The ballroom will be brighter for it, and the fans will feel it too.