Dancing with the Stars’ 20th anniversary brings former host Tom Bergeron home to the ballroom

The milestone 20th-anniversary episode of Dancing with the Stars will see the return of original host Tom Bergeron as a guest judge, marking his first appearance in the ballroom since his exit from the show five years ago.

Bergeron, who hosted the series from its debut in 2005 through 28 seasons, will take the judges’ seat on the special November 11, 2025, broadcast, celebrating two decades of the dance competition series.

Dancing with the Stars: A one-night return for the former host

Dancing with the Stars, now in its 34th season, is making a point of honoring its legacy—and the decision to bring back Tom Bergeron underlines that commitment.

On Good Morning America, Bergeron said, 

“It feels really good [to be back], I’m really looking forward to it. I think 20 years of any primetime show is amazing. For a show 20 years old to also be having a ratings resurgence as they are, you’re more likely to see a zebra playing the piano.”

He credited showrunner Conrad Green and the current team with “getting it back to its essence.”

Bergeron’s return comes after he departed from Dancing with the Stars in 2020.

He and co-host Erin Andrews were replaced ahead of Season 29 by Tyra Banks, and the hosting reins were later passed to Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough for the current run.

Bergeron reflected on his exit during a 2021 podcast,

“In all candor, the show that I left was not the show that I loved. So, at the end of the season that turned out to be my last season, I kind of knew. … It was kind of obvious that we were kind of butting heads.”

The return is being framed as limited but meaningful: not a full-time comeback, but a guest judging slot that reconnects Bergeron with the ballroom one more time. In a separate interview, he told reporters, 

“I said, ‘Look, I’m just gonna charge you scale, but I want a nice donation to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and I come back as a guest judge.’” 

By participating in this capacity, he avoids the pressures of hosting while embracing the nostalgia of the show he helped build.

What the Anniversary Episode Looks Like

In the 20th-anniversary edition of Dancing with the Stars, the format will get a celebratory twist.

The first round of dances will be set to music from iconic freestyles of the last two decades, bringing the series’ history full circle.

For the first time, celebrity contestants will dance without their professional partners for bonus points—a nod to the show’s willingness to evolve while honoring its roots.

Bergeron said of this special format, 

“It’s so much fun to watch my friends do the work. I don’t have to throw to commercials. I don’t have to worry about the timing.”

He admitted he had previously turned down an invitation to simply sit in the audience for the 500th episode, saying, 

“Sitting there? I’d be too fidgety.”

Why this matters for Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars has undergone several changes in its hosting and judging over its 20-year run.

Bringing back Tom Bergeron serves both as a nod to the series’ origins and an opportunity to bring full-circle closure to that chapter of the show.

He told TV Insider he is excited to judge contestant Andy Richter, noting,

“He epitomizes what I always thought the show was at its best.”

His focus on joy, nostalgia and performance, rather than pure competition, is exactly what fans remember him for from the earlier seasons.

Tom Bergeron’s one-night return doesn’t guarantee a full-time comeback, but it leaves the door open.

As the show airs live on ABC and streams on Disney+, the special episode will remind viewers how Dancing with the Stars has remained relevant and compelling for two decades.

Bergeron’s presence, anchored by echoes of the past, offers a bridge between where the show has been and where it might go next. As he aptly put it,

“I’m just looking forward to being in an environment surrounded by people I really care about on live television, where there’s no second take. It’s my happy place.”

With that sentiment guiding him back into the ballroom, the 20th-anniversary celebration of Dancing with the Stars promises to be both a sentimental tribute and a lively dance floor rebirth.

Stay tuned for more updates.