Dancing With The Stars icon Tom Bergeron has revealed he is done with hosting shows and accepts that he is unbothered about his controversial show exit as "s--- can happen ".
Bergeron, 69, confessed that he will not front any more small screen projects despite getting lots of offers. The star controversially left DWTS in 2020 following a rift with executives over the "step too far" of casting political figures.
But he stands by his decision to speak up before his exit from his highest paying gig, despite audiences being upset. The beloved star spoke as he was handed a prestigious honour at the Critics Choice Real TV Awards at their 2024 ceremony at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
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The Critics Choice Association (CCA) handed Bergeron their brand new Sam Rubin Award honor named for the late entertainment journalist Sam Rubin. Speaking to The Mirror US, Bergeron said: "I honestly don't want to host anything anymore. I've done it to death.
"I've done every format possible." He added: "I'm open to other stuff. I have a film project with of all people, William Shatner, who's a friend of mine, that The Village Roadshows is optioning.
"Things like that are fun coming out of left field, but hosting, (I’ve) been there, done that." Asked to reflect on “the key moments” in his hit career, he referenced standing his ground.
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"I think a lot of it had to do with, and I would say this to anybody in any career, is if you love what you're doing, s--- can happen. You might lose jobs along the way, but if you love what you're doing, if it's something that you're following a passion as opposed to following a pay check, then hopefully the pay checks will come.
"No guarantees. But I would rather fail at something I love doing than succeed at something that drives me effing crazy." Asked what he misses about DWTS, he smiled: "I was kidding with somebody before the pay check. Semi kidding. But more the people."
Asked about his decision to fight DWTS bosses, he asserted: ”I think if you can look at yourself in the mirror and say, would I have done it differently? And the answer is no. I feel real comfortable the way I did it then. It's not a heavy cross to bear.
"I wanted the viewers to know this was a step too far to me. This was a step too far on the cusp of an election year," he explained, reiterating again that he would have objected to any political figure regardless of party affiliation being cast.
"It wasn't about my political beliefs. It was about my feeling about the show," he said. "What is this show at its best? And what was happening was we were suddenly becoming this show at its worst.”
The veteran TV host stated he was fired from the star-studded ABC reality dance competition in 2020 after objecting to the casting of former White House press secretary Sean Spicer the previous year. Bergeron told a podcast that he had previously been assured by the show's bosses that a political figure wouldn't be cast for Season 28.
Bergeron was adamant viewers needed weekly escape from the political divisiveness in the US. He told bosses: “Be the show that gives people a break from all this b------- So, I was furious," he revealed on the Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast.
Bergeron’s friend Alfonso Ribeiro, 50, handed over the award. The Critics Choice Association (CCA) presented the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Real TV Award. The award show honored excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Comics Randy Sklar and Jason Sklar hosted the bash.
The Traitors led the winners, taking home four awards including Best Competition Series and Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series along with Best Show Host and Male Star of the Year for Alan Cumming. Peacock was the most awarded network of the evening, topping four categories.
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