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Former Dancing With the Stars host <\/span>Tom Bergeron<\/b> returned to the ballroom on Tuesday as a special guest judge for the show\u2019s 20th anniversary celebration, marking his first appearance since his departure in 2020 over creative differences with the producers.<\/span><\/p>\n At the start of the show, Bergeron welcomed the audience to the show before being joined by current co-hosts <\/span>Alfonso Ribeiro<\/b> and <\/span>Julianne Hough<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Hough then announced to the audience that Bergeron would serve as the evening\u2019s \u201chonorary guest judge.\u201d As she welcomed her longtime friend back to the stage, she teared up and leaned on him for support.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHi sweetheart, I am thrilled to be here\u2014what a rush,\u201d Bergeron told Hough. <\/span><\/p>\n Their friendship spans nearly two decades. Julianne was a pro dancer from seasons 4 through 8, while Tom hosted the show from seasons 1 through 29, from 2005 to 2020. Hough became a host in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n After the relay dance, Bergeron decided to talk to the network instead of the contestants. \u201cYou guys were great, but in my last comments as a judge, I want to speak directly to the network.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Turning to the camera<\/span><\/a>, he added, \u201cThis show is setting ratings records again, so next season, bring back the results show. Let the whole country vote. Let everybody vote.\u201d The live audience responded with enthusiastic cheers.<\/span><\/p>\n Bergeron is referring to the former two-episode format of <\/span>DWTS.<\/span><\/i> In the past, the performances would be held on one night, where viewers could vote for their favorites. The next night, a results episode would reveal the eliminated couple.<\/span><\/p>\n DWTS <\/span><\/i>put an end to the results show in 2013 and changed the format to a single, two-hour episode each week. Now, the eliminations are included at the end of the weekly show.<\/span><\/p>\n Bergeron recently spoke to <\/span>The Hollywood Reporter<\/span><\/i><\/a> about the voting issue saying, \u201cI always mourned the loss of that Tuesday show. I thought it made the voting more fair across the country, because the West Coast can\u2019t vote now unless they\u2019re watching on wherever the hell you\u2019d watch it streamed live. The results show was great\u2014it was like a variety show with an elimination at the end. I think the ratings now would really speak to it being time to bring that back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Reflecting on his departure<\/span><\/a> from the show, he told the late <\/span>Bob Saget\u2019s<\/b> podcast<\/span><\/a> in 2021, \u201cIn 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. I took everything out of my dressing room that I really wanted\u2026 It was kind of obvious that we were kind of butting heads [behind the scenes]. It wasn\u2019t a pleasant [experience].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n