Tom Bergeron is back as the host of a dance show, but instead of “Dancing With the Stars,” he’s heading up a Shark Week special called “Dancing With Sharks.” Find out why Bergeron didn’t hesitate to take the hosting gig.
Tom Bergeron Hosts a New Dance Show That Involves Sharks
During a July 16 interview on “The View,” Bergeron shared why he was easily sold on the idea of hosting a Discovery Channel Shark Week show called “Dancing With Sharks.”
“The View” co-host Sara Haines noted, “You hosted ‘Dancing With the Stars’ for 28 seasons before leaving in 2020. And now you are back on our TVs, which we are happy about, for Shark Week, hosting a new special called ‘Dancing With Sharks.'”
Bergeron joked, “Because why not, right?”
The “DWTS” alum was easily sold on taking the job, based on the title alone. “Well, when Discovery called me about it and they hit me with that title, it was like an easy yes.”
He did have one stipulation, however, sharing, “As long as I didn’t have to go in the water.”
Bergeron continued, “And we have five shark handlers, one incredible underwater choreographer who taught them some dance. And they are doing dance moves with hammerheads and tiger sharks, and lemon sharks.”
When Joy Behar asked why the sharks don’t bite the participants, Bergeron said, “Well, because they’re professionals.”
He continued, “But one of the things that all of the shark handlers really stressed with me is that Spielbergian fear we have of sharks is sort of overblown … that they really don’t like to eat us as much as we think they do.”
Tom Bergeron Compares New Show to ‘DWTS’
Bergeron is no stranger to hosting a dance competition, and, during a July 2025 Entertainment Tonight interview, he dished on what he misses most about “DWTS.”
The former “DWTS” host said he misses “the camaraderie,” calling the show “a real unexpected gift of my career.”
In comparing the two shows, Bergeron joked, “You know, in the 15 years I hosted that other dance show, I saw some humans who didn’t do as well as these sharks.”
As for the prize, there’s no Mirrorball Trophy here. “You leave with a very precious parting gift: all of your limbs,” he joked.
The “Dancing With Sharks” host also addressed whether the show will be scary, confirming, “It’s not like the movie ‘Jaws.’ They’re not constantly eating humans — we’re their cheat day.”
