There's lots of big changes coming in regards to the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars. First the upcoming season will air exclusively on Disney+ instead of ABC. Now comes word that producers have selected America's Funniest Home Videos host Alfonso Ribiero to co-host DWTS.
Via Page Six:
ABC announced the news Thursday ahead of the Season 31 premiere this fall on Disney+.
“I’m super excited,” Ribiero told People. “For me to be asked now to co-host with Tyra, and be part of the great crew and dancers and friends … to be able to be on stage with them and to be part of that family again, is quite special for me.
“I mean, these dancers are friends of mine at this point now. We really do all hang out together and talk outside of that show.”
The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alum — who won his very own mirrorball trophy in 2014 while partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson — said his main goal as co-host is to “entertain people week to week and get people to really fall in love with these dancers and the professionals and the celebrity, the contestants.”
“Hopefully my opportunity will be to give them their chance to shine, to let America see who they are, what they’re great at, their personality,” he added. “Hopefully the dances match that.”
As for the contestants? The former “America’s Funniest Home Videos” host plans to build a friendship and bond with them.
“After their dance, I want to get honest and true feelings from them and make people laugh and make people smile again,” he explained. “I feel like sometimes it gets a little serious, and while it needs to be that also, it also needs to be light and fun and cheery.”
Ribiero — who has known Banks since junior high school and worked alongside her on “Fresh Prince” — was possibly alluding to the criticism that the former “America’s Next Top Model” host, 48, has received from both the audience and previous contestants.
However, the actor shared, “I think it’s going to be nice for us to work together again and to bring the fun out and have some fun on that stage.”
Alfonso seems like the safe choice, especially since fans of the long-running dance competition series haven't taken a liking to Tyra since she took over hosting duties from Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews two years ago.
Back in April, former co-host Brooke Burke spoke out, saying she doesn't think the model should have been chosen to host DWTS.
Burke, 50, even called Banks “a diva,” adding during an episode of David Yontef’s “Behind the Velvet Rope” podcast, “There’s nothing wrong with that, and I’m not saying anything bad about her — be a diva!
“It’s [just] not the place to be a diva.”
So this feels like an executive decision that was made to save the show, and keep Tyra on board. We'll see how the fans of the series will respond once the new season airs and they share their thoughts on social media.
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