Rumors Are Swirling About Tyra Banks' Future On Dancing With The Stars
After almost 17 years on network television, "Dancing With the Stars" is moving to Disney+. The show — which aired on ABC stations for 30 seasons — sees celebrities, politicians, and other public figures pairing up with professional dancers in an attempt to tango (or cha-cha) their way to the coveted Mirrorball Trophy. Disney exec Kareem Daniel confirmed the news to Variety and revealed that the streaming service has committed to two seasons of the popular show.
"The show's broad appeal, as well as the overwhelming popularity of its Disney-themed competition nights, make Disney+ the perfect home for 'Dancing with the Stars,'" Daniels said in a statement. The announcement made little mention of the "DWTS" host, Tyra Banks, or her future with the program. Following the announcement of the show's move to the streaming service, fans took to Twitter to blast Banks, blaming her for the switch. "I refuse to buy a subscription to watch how Tyra Banks keeps destroying the show ... The show is a joke since Tom and Erin left," one user tweeted. "IF the host is still Tyra, none of my family or friends will be making the move to watch DWTS," said another.
While social media seemingly went into a frenzy following the news, fans are still unsure if Banks will continue hosting the show.
Tyra Banks' future is uncertain
When news broke that "Dancing With the Stars" would be moving to Disney+, fans were beginning to question what would come of the show's current host, Tyra Banks. Banks — who has hosted the dance competition since 2020 — took over hosting duties after ABC and BBC Studios fired Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews after Season 28. Now, professional dancer Artem Chigvinstev is addressing speculation about Banks's "DWTS" fate.
"As far as the show goes, the only information we received of it is we are going to be on a different platform," Chigvinstev said to Us Weekly. "But as far as like, who's going to be part of it and even ourselves as dancers, I'm not sure." Chigvinstev, who is currently engaged to former "DWTS" contender Nikki Bella, goes on to explain that dancers are often the last members of the show to be notified of impending changes.
The jury is still out concerning Banks's return to the popular series, as it appears fans may have followed through with their promise to boycott Season 30. According to Deadline, viewership for the popular dance competition continues to fall. The season 30 finale of "DWTS" brought in 5.41 million viewers, compared to Season 29's 6.08 million viewers. And while the show's producers have not explicitly stated whether the dip in viewership caused the move to a streaming service, fans continue to blame Banks for the change.