Dancing With the Stars Judges and Hosts Then and Now: Photos

With so many successful seasons of Dancing With the Stars, it’s no surprise we’ve seen a plethora of hosts and judges like Tom Bergeron, Tyra Banks, Bruno Tonioli and more take the stage. Looking back, fans can’t believe how much has changed over the years for these beloved TV personalities.

Dancing With the Stars first premiered on ABC on June 1, 2005. At the time, Tom hosted the dancing competition between six professional ballroom dancers and their celebrity partners.

As the seasons went on, the now-iconic reality show quickly grew. The America’s Funniest Home Videos host remained as a key star of the show, but fans also got to meet other TV personalities like Erin Andrews, Julianne Hough, Brooke Burke and more over the years.

In July 2020, ABC announced they were making a drastic change to the longtime cast. The network revealed Tom and his cohost, Erin, would not be returning for the 29th season as ABC and producer BBC Studios wanted to go in a “new creative direction” with Tyra.

“Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family. He departs the show with our sincerest thanks and gratitude for his trademark wit and charm that helped make this show a success,” the statement read.

“Erin will also not be returning, and we appreciate all that she brought to the ballroom,” the statement continued. “Fans have been rooting for her since she originally competed as a contestant back in 2010, and her signature sense of humor has become a hallmark of the show.”

Although viewers were heartbroken over Tom and Erin’s sudden departure, they were eager to see how Tyra would elevate the show. In her statement at the time, the former America’s Next Top Model host said she couldn’t be happier about joining the Emmy Award-winning series.

“I’ve been a fan of DWTS since its beginning,” Tyra gushed in July 2020. “The fun mixed with raw emotion, seeing celebrities push past their comfort zones, the sizzling dance performances … it’s always transported me to my days of turning it up 10 notches on the catwalk.”

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum noted she was especially looking forward to following in her predecessor’s legendary footsteps. “Tom has set a powerful stage,” she marveled, “and I’m excited to continue the legacy and put on my executive producer and hosting hats.”

In April 2022, ABC announced that after 30 seasons live on cable, the show would be moving exclusively to Disney+ for seasons 31 and 32.

Scroll through the gallery below to see all the Dancing With the Stars hosts and judges through the years!

Tyra Banks

Prior to making her debut as the host of DWTS in September 2020, the brunette beauty was no stranger to the media industry.

She previously hosted America’s Next Top Model from 2003 to 2018 and The Tyra Banks Show from 2005 to 2010. Tyra also appeared on America’s Got Talent and had roles in hit films including Life-Size, Coyote Ugly and more.

Tom Bergeron

Tom has been a cohost on the show since the first season in 2005. However, he was replaced by Tyra after hosting 28 seasons in 2020.

“It’s been an incredible 15 year run in the most unexpected half of my career,” he wrote on Instagram following the announcement. “I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made.”

Julianne Hough

Julianne started out her career on DWTS as a professional dancer from season 4 until season 9. The actress then became a judge in season 19, where she remained until season 21 in 2015.

Julianne took a break in 2016, but she returned just one season later. However, she left the judging panel after her duties were done in 2017.

Len Goodman

Len was one of the original three judges on the show. Although he was known for being “Grumpy Len” throughout the show’s 28 seasons, he didn’t return as judge for season 29.

“At the moment, we’re trying to figure out how to incorporate Len Goodman because he is in England and there’s all these travel restrictions because of COVID-19,” she told Entertainment Tonight in September 2020.

Fortunately, Len was able to make his return to the panel for season 30 as the head judge. He got to make several nail-biting tiebreaking decisions when it came time to eliminate contestants each week.