Tom Bergeron was fired from Dancing with the Stars in 2020 reportedly over behind-the-scenes disagreements with producers, notably related to the casting of former White House press secretary Sean Spicer for Season 28. Bergeron publicly said he didn’t want a political figure on the show, and he indicated the decision to replace him came from higher up after those tensions. Since then, multiple outlets have framed the firing as a clash of vision between Bergeron and the show's leadership, with some sources noting that producer changes and evolving direction contributed to the departure. He later returned to DWTS in a guest capacity for a 20th-anniversary celebration episode and has discussed the exit in retrospective interviews, emphasizing that the situation involved more than just ratings or format changes.