Tom Bergeron fired from 'Dancing with the Stars' after 15 years as host

WASHINGTON (SBG) — After 15 years at the helm of "Dancing with the Stars," Tom Bergeron announced he will no longer be hosting.

The longtime host of the dancing competition show broke the news on Twitter Monday. Bergeron's announcement comes on the heels of ABC and BBC Productions saying they are heading in "a new creative direction," telling host Bergeron that he “departs the show with our sincerest thanks and gratitude for his trademark wit and charm that helped make this show a success.”

"It's been an incredible 15 year run and the most unexpected gift of my career. I'm grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?" Bergeron joked in regards to the coronavirus pandemic.

Co-host Erin Andrews, who joined the team in 2014, will also not be returning. Andrews originally competed as a contestant four years earlier. "Her signature sense of humor has become a hallmark of the show,” ABC's statement read.

Bergeron hosted the show from the very beginning, dating back to the 2005 premiere. He won an Emmy in 2012 for "Outstanding Host for a Reality of Reality Competition Program."

The former host made waves last year when he expressed displeasure that former White House press secretary Sean Spicer was one of the contestants for the fall season.

Bergeron said in a tweet that he first told producers he had hoped the new season would be a “joyful respite from our exhausting political climate” and urged them not have any “divisive bookings.” Producers ultimately disagreed. The finale that season — No. 28 — ended with Bachelorette Hannah Brown and Alan Bersten taking home the Mirrorball trophy.

The Associated Press reports the show "scored a new low in total viewers among the show’s previous finales. Still, the final show was the most watched program on broadcast television that week with 7.7 million total viewers."

Past contestants like Lea Thompson and Bindi Irwin tweeted their goodbyes. "They might as well cancel it," Thompson wrote.

Before Bergeron tackled dancing competitions, he was known for his work on "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "Hollywood Squares."

Tyra Banks has been hired in Bergeron's place, showing off her moves as a solo host.